My Tail Leads
by warriorfreak
Summary: Born with three tails instead of one, Threekit is hated from birth. As he struggles to find acceptance in his Clan and looses the only one he cares about, Threekit slowly realizes he will be hated forever by his Clanmates. C 2008 warriorfreak
1. Chapter 1

**ThunderClan**

**Leader-** _Bramblestar_- Huge dark tabby tom

**Deputy**- _Thornclaw_- Ginger tom

**Medicine Cat**- _Jayleaf_- Blind blue/grey tom with bright blue eyes, apprentice, Cinderpelt

**Warriors**- _Cloudtail_- White tom

_Ashfur_- Pale grey with darker flecks, dark blue eyed tom

_Sorreltail_- Tortoiseshell and white she-cat, apprentice, Foxpaw

_Spiderleg_- long limbed black tom

_Brookfur_- Brown tabby she-cat with grey eyes (Formerly Brook Where Small Fish Swim)

_Whitewing_- White she-cat with green eyes

_Mousefoot_- Grey and white tom, apprentice, Icepaw

_Poppytail_- tortoiseshell she-cat

_Berrytalon_- Cream colored tom, only half a tail

_Lionheart_- Golden tom with amber eyes

**Apprentices**- _Foxpaw_- Auburn tom

_Icepaw_- White she-cat with blue eyes

**Queens**- _Honeytail_- light brown tabby she-cat, mate Lionheart

_Hollybranch_- black she-cat with bushy fur and green eyes, mate Mousefoot

_Hazelflower_- Small grey and white she-cat, mate Spiderleg

_Ferncloud_- Pale she-cat, mate Dustpelt

**Elders**-_Sandstorm_- pale ginger she-cat

_Dustpelt_- dark brown tabby tom

_Stormfur_- Dark grey tom, retired early to due three paws broken by badger

_Birchfall_- Light brown tabby tom, retired early due to sudden deafness

_Daisy-_ cream she-cat, retired early because she was to timid to fight, and could no longer have kits

**Kits**- _Nightkit_- Dark brown tom, flecked with gold, amber eyes, mother Honeytail

_Featherkit_- Pale, creamy she-cat with long, fluffy fur and pinkish eyes, mother Honeytail

_Brushkit-_ White tom with grey tabby patches, golden eyes, motherHollybranch

_Chalkkit-_ White she-cat with black bases of fur, looks like smoke, blue eyes, motherHollybranch

_Threekit-_ Shiny black tom with bright green eyes, three tails, motherHollybranch

Shadows enfolded the dark nursery. Hollybranch's green eyes blinked slowly as she stared out into the night. The black she-cat was restless, she could feel her kits kicking inside her belly. She desperately wanted her brother, Jayleaf to come and help her give birth.

She was afraid of what her mate, Mousefoot, would think of her soon-to-be born kits. He was critical, and she felt intimidated by him.

Hollybranch glanced over at Honeytail. Honeytail was her brother's mate. Lionheart was always very proud of Honeytail and her two mellow kits.

She let out a yowl and fell to her side. Jayleaf heard her from across the clearing and came running.

She gave birth to three kits.

XXX

Bramblestar strolled across the clearing to see his new grandkits. His son, Jayleaf had told him early that morning that Hollybranch had finally given birth.

With Squirrelflight at his side, Bramblestar bounded into the nursery. Hollybranch lay on her side.

Mousefoot pushed past Bramblestar, his eyes wide and hungry. Bramblestar growled at the rudeness the tom had shown for his leader, but he then remembered that Mousefoot was Hollybranch's mate, and the father to these kits.

Hollybranch looked up at the visitors and moved her bushy tail to expose two little kits. One was a white tom with grey tabby patches.

"I decided to name this one Brushkit," She said, smiling. The other kit was all white, but the bottom of her fur was black, so she looked like smoke.

"Her name's Chalkkit. I decided Smokekit was too ordinary." Hollybranch said.

Mousefoot looked mad. "You didn't leave any for me to name?" He snarled.

"Oh, sorry, there's another." She said, moving her tail to reveal a tiny black tom.

Mousefoot looked outraged. "Doesn't he have a tail?"

"Oh, sorry, I forgot to uncover it." Hollybranch apologized. She did not move her tail.

"MOVE YOUR TAIL YOU TWIT!" Mousefoot screamed.

"SORRY!" Hollybranch yowled. She still did not move her tail.

Mousefoot shrieked and swiped her black tail aside. Then he screamed.

Instead of one tail, the kit Hollybranch had been half-hiding had three. The middle tail was right where it should have been, but there was one on either side of it, touching the base of the middle one.

"KILL IT!" Mousefoot screamed. He was sweating, spit sprayed from his mouth and he could barely breathe. Never before had he thought someone could look so horribly mutated, let alone his _son._

"No." Squirrelflight stepped foreword as both Bramblestar and Mousefoot unsheathed their claws. The ginger she cat's eyes met her daughter's frightened ones.

"He's a little smaller then his siblings, but he looks as strong as any kit. What could keep him from becoming the best warrior on earth?"

Bramblestar looked at her like she was crazy. "A kit with three tails? Are you mad? An opponent could grip all those tails, and turn him upside down like he was a beetle! Plus, it's a disgrace to ThunderClan to have such a mutant in our Clan!"

Squirrelflight and Hollybranch looked hurt. They all watched as the mutant- kit crawled toward his mother and started nursing. Hollybranch bent her head and gave him a gentle lick.

Bramblestar drew himself up. "He will be disposed of. Squirrelflight, fetch an apprentice."

"But…"

"Do as I said."

The ginger she-cat gave her daughter a sad, loving glance, and disappeared from the den. She reappeared a moment later with a confused looking Icepaw at her side.

Bramblestar turned to the white apprentice. "Icepaw, you are to take the tiny, uh, three tailed kit of Hollybranch's out to the middle of the forest. Dispose of it there."

"You mean, leave him?" Icepaw looked confused and shocked.

"No. Kill it quickly. A small slash to the throat should do the trick. Bury all the remains."

Icepaw looked almost angry. "Kill a kit?"

"It has three tails!" Bramblestar yowled.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Icepaw said, "So what if it has more then one tail?"

Suddenly, Mousefoot leaped at the apprentice, attempting to pin her down. Icepaw lashed out, wriggling away. Mousefoot spun, aiming claws at her neck. She ducked barely, so the claws sliced across her foreword. She yowled and fell, and he pinned her down.

"No! Stop!" Hollybranch was yowling.

"Quiet." Mousefoot snarled at her. "Listen, Icepaw. If you don't kill that kit, I'm gunna be on your case until you _die_. Got that? I'm not gunna take the baggage of being the father of a kit with three tails."

Icepaw looked at him with shocked, angry blue eyes. Then she stood up, flipping him away from her. She grabbed the kit, and his three tails twitched together.

"His name's Threekit, by the way," Mousefoot added, his eyes sparkling with glee as he named his son disgracefully. "For his three tails. Get him out of my sight now, forever!"

"Yes, and be quick about it," Bramblestar added. He stretched. "I must now go and prepare Honeytail's kits for their upcoming ceremony." Whereupon he left.

Icepaw ran as fast as she could with Threekit in her jaws until she reached the river. There she stopped.

**Please read and review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Threekit was dropped by Icepaw and he looked up, opening his bright blue eyes.

Icepaw was pacing. "I'm so sorry…Threekit. I mean--,"

"Please don't kill me," he begged.

Icepaw froze, hearing the small voice. "You can talk, already?" The young apprentice asked.

"Sure I can. Couldn't you?" The black kit asked. He drew two of his tails around his body, leaving the third sticking out behind him.

"Well, no, not until I was like, two moons!" She sat, stopping her pacing and sitting down in front of him. Being small for her age, she was only a little bigger then him. She wrapped her tail around her own paws carefully, hoping not to make it look like she was mocking him.

"Well, I can talk, and hear, and see and smell and feel already!" He squeaked, "And I heard what all those demons were saying back in the nursery! If you kill me I'll eat your muzzle!"

She winced back, looking shocked. "They say you couldn't be useful to your Clan."

"I don't care if I am! I just don't wanna die! You know, I've only been on this world for one night and a morning."

Icepaw stared incredulously at the bold, defiant kit.

"I don't care if everyone hates me because of my tails! I think my tails are cool and are going to help me!"

He drew them together and lashed them as if they were one.

Icepaw looked up thoughtfully. "Well, Threekit, if you really don't want to die this much, I guess I'll spare you."

"Hey thanks!" He said, sitting up to his full height.

"But we'll tell the Clan Mousefoot isn't your father, so he won't have a fit. Only Bramblestar, Squirrelflight and Hollybranch will know he actually is."

"OK!" Threekit said. He stood up, slowly swishing his tails, "And I'll walk back to camp myself, to show them I'm not weak."

"Alright." Icepaw walked slowly along, not wanting to over exert the kit.

"Oh, come on!" Threekit started to bound at incredible speeds, using his tails to steer him and to help him keep his balance.

He reached camp first, Icepaw after him. They crept to the nursery, and told Hollybranch their plan. She was so relieved to see her poor kit alive that she would agree to anything.

Icepaw smiled at Threekit as she exited, and he smiled back, a mature one for a kit of his age.

He curled up to his mother. _Maybe I'll have a good life after all_, he thought, smiling slightly.

XXX

THREE MOONS LATER

XXX

Threekit was awake before his sister and brother. The past days of his life had been boring, his siblings only slept and nursed, they had only gotten their senses a moon ago.

Today, they seemed frisky. Brushkit awoke, opening his golden eyes. He stretched slowly, and saw his brother awake, grooming each of his tails in turn.

"Hey WeirdEnd!" Brushkit yowled lazily. He was putting on the cool act because one of Hazelflower's kits was watching. Her name was Featherkit. She was a beautiful cream she-cat with pinkish eyes and long, fluffy fur.

She came flouncing over.

"Oh, Brushkit, you're such a trickster," She said flirtatiously.

He looked up. "Am I much of a trickster as you are beautiful, sweets?"

Featherkit blushed and spun around. "Maybe." She said cutely, edging closer.

He scooted over to her too.

"Wouldn't we be cute?" he asked, looking slyly into her pink eyes, "A trickster and a beauty, with irresistible eyes?"

She smiled. "Maybe."

"Wouldn't we be cute, sweets," Brushkit said, leaning foreword until he lay on is back, "Together?"

She looked lovingly into his eyes. "Of course!" She yowled and lay down against him.

Threekit was disgusted. Brushkit was only three moons old. Glaring, the black, three-tailed kit pulled away from them, and bumped into Chalkkit.

She turned. "Oh hi, Threekit." She said, smiling. She turned around to face him. "How are you this morning?"

"I'm alright." He said. Using his right tail, he licked the tip and cleaned his ears. His right tail was wrapped around his paws and his middle stuck out behind.

"I must say, all those tails are handy." Chalkkit said.

"Sure they are." He smiled. "I can do twice as much with them.

"Lucky," She said, "Anyway, Nightkit and Featherkit are having their ceremony tonight!"

"That'll be great," Threekit said as he licked his tail, "It'll get them out of here. Look over there." With his middle tail he pointed to Brushkit and Featherkit.

"Oh wow. They seem to really like each other." Chalkkit said thoughtfully.

"Yuck," Threekit only said.

Featherkit padded away from Brushkit, and the tabby tom looked up.

"Chalkkit, get away from WeirdEnd! He's having issues today!"

"Oh, sorry," Chalkkit said, backing away.

"Featherkit's having her ceremony today," Brushkit announced loudly, "And me and Chalkkit's will be coming soon too!"

"And mine," Threekit added aggressively.

"What? I must have misheard." Brushkit said loudly, "Silly me thought I heard you say that you'd be getting an apprentice ceremony too."

"You're not silly. I did say it." Threekit snarled.

"Then you're mad," Brushkit said coldly, "There's no way Bramblestar would give you a ceremony. You have three tails."

"That doesn't mean anything," Threekit defied.

"Oh, it means lots. It means your weak! Plus, you're abnormal. Look at me, big and brawny. And I'm already attracting she-cats! That's how tom kits should be. _You're_ not, so _you're_ weird."

"OH SHUT UP!" Threekit yowled, he stood up, his tails bristling.

"Plus, you're weak because you can't even lay a paw on me."  
His rage bubbled over. Filled with anger, he slammed his paw at his brother, his claws scathing across Brushkit's thigh.

"You might have to rephrase that," Threekit snarled. His chest was heaving, and he was out of breath, shocked by his anger.

Brushkit stared daggers at him. Then he attacked his brother, whacking the kit out into the clearing. "GO ON! GET OUT!" he yelled.

Threekit rolled across the sand and then lay on his side numbly, unable to move. Finally he understood.

He wasn't normal. He never would be.

**I don't know where I got the idea. Please Review! Should I continue?**


	3. Chapter 3

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Three_

The day of Nightkit's and Featherkit's ceremony had long passed, and now they were Nightpaw and Featherpaw, apprenticed to Brookfur and Cloudtail.

Threekit and his sibling's ceremony was only days away, and as much as the three tailed kit tried to defy it, he knew he wasn't getting a ceremony. Bramblestar had brought only Chalkkit and Brushkit in to his den to tell them they were soon to be made apprentices. Some of the warriors came and gave Chalkkit and Brushkit little lessons on how to fight and hunt, but nobody ever came to Threekit.

He was upset and hurt, he wanted to be made an apprentice so bad he could taste it. He didn't want to be doomed to the useless, _boring_ life of a kit forever, and have the only thing he looked foreword to becoming an elder.

And Threekit knew he was as strong as any cat, and definitely as smart, maybe even smarter. His tails were a bonus, he could lash one and let one warm him and clean himself with one all at the same time.

But he still wasn't going to be made an apprentice, and he knew it.

Threekit tossed and turned that night, beside his siblings. Their ceremony was tomorrow night.

Bramblestar was trying to keep Threekit from thinking he wasn't going to be made an apprentice, Threekit knew it. He was sure that tomorrow the leader would name Chalkkit and Brushkit, and then do a subtle job of dismissing Threekit to the elders den, so the kit would never be too hurt.

Well, it wasn't working. Threekit was so angry he could burst. He knew that the Clan wouldn't even let him become a medicine cat, unlike lucky Jayleaf.

Finally, he knew what he had to do. The three tailed kit got up and left the nursery. He padded across the moonstruck camp until eh reached Bramblestar's den. The leader was resting comfortably on the moss, his eyes half open.

Threekit was nervous to approach his leader and grandfather, but he fought through it and called out, "Bramblestar? May I speak to you?"

Bramblestar sat up an instantly glanced at the kits many tails. Recognizing him the leader said, "Yes come in, but hurry back to the nursery when you're through. Young kits like you are easy prey for a fox or eagle."

"I'm almost apprentice age," Threekit reminded him coldly.

"Oh, well…" Bramblestar smiled uncomfortably.

Threekit sat down, two tails around him and the middle sticking out. He saw Bramblestar shudder softly at the weirdness of it.

"I want to know," Threekit began, "If I'm going to become an apprentice."

Bramblestar's eyes widened, and then he sunk down, putting on a fake, sympathetic face.

Threekit felt a rock fall to the pit of his stomach and his eyes grew hot, as if he was going to cry. He knew he was going to hear this, but still, it was so….sad.

"Threekit, I'm afraid that you can't." Bramblestar said with forced remorse.

The three-tailed kit looked at him sadly.

"Even how much I think you're a wonderful cat, your tails will never make it possible for you to become a full warrior of ThunderClan."

"Then watch me," Threekit said. He could not keep it in, "I'll show you that I'm as good as any cat, if you just make me an apprentice."

Bramblestar's eyebrows rose in shock and he looked surprised. "Your two extra tails are a physical disorder. You will be unable to show me, because even as hard as you try, your disorder will make your skills not ever be able to match the other ThunderClan cats."

"You're wrong." Threekit's voice rose and he stood up, "I struck Brushkit with only one blow and he bled! I made Nightpaw get a nasty bruise on his shoulder because I bit him! I yanked out some of Featherpaw's fur and it still hasn't grown back! I _am_ strong! Please, make me an apprentice."

"I'm sorry but I cannot, Threekit," Bramblestar said, shaking his head.

"It's not against the warrior code is it? It's the same as letting Kittypets into the Clan! It's the same as letting Jayleaf become a medicine cat when he's blind! It doesn't matter what we look like, it matters it we're fit to become warriors, and I am!"

Bramblestar gave a giant sigh and closed his eyes for a long time. "You're right," he said finally, "tomorrow night I will hold a council, to see if you should truly train with the others."

Threekit's eyes widened. He had been able to make the stubborn leader bend a little. "Thank you, Bramblestar!" He gasped, and hurried back to the nursery.

Threekit knew that at the council tomorrow, he would do everything he could to become an apprentice—even if it meant attack another warrior.


	4. Chapter 4

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Four_

It was half an hour until Threekit's apprentice council held session, and the poor kit had never felt worse. The whole Clan hated him for his tails, except Icepaw, and Chalkkit didn't care what happened to him. Threekit was supposed to yowl out to the entire Clan why he thought he should be an apprentice and how he would benefit his Clan.

He was supposed to be thinking of good reasons right now, but his mind was blank as ice, and a fog had settled on it. Plus, he was too nervous to do anything but brood.

Hollybranch tapped his little black forehead with her tail. "Don't worry, Threekit. You'll do fine. You're a smart cat." But Threekit couldn't even smile at her praise.

He lay down, closing his eyes, though his brow was furrowed. He tried to block out Chalkkit and Brushkit's excited yells. They were so eager for their ceremony.

"Threekit," Came a soft voice from the entrance of the den. He barely moved, expecting maybe Honeytail to be offering him a wash. When Honeytail washed him, she went the wrong way and pulled his tails so it hurt.

"Threekit, its Icepaw."

He opened his eyes and blinked, and slowly turned around.

The white apprentice stood in the entrance. She came in, bringing the smell of the cool evening air with her.

She sat down beside him. Threekit had grown, now he was almost her size. His tails had also grown, he found they were long, flexible and strong.

"Um…yeah?" He asked nervously. He hadn't seen Icepaw for about a moon, she was busy and rarely visited the nursery. What if she had changed now, and was judgmental about his tails, like everyone else?

"I just wanted to wish you luck," She said quietly. She licked the kit on the head and padded from the den.

Threekit watched her leave then turned his head back and let it droop.

He barely heard Brushkit's remark, "Oh yeah, I forget to tell you! Good luck, Threekit! NOT!" He cackled and left to join Featherpaw.

"LET ALL CATS OLD ENOUGH TO CATCH THEIR OWN PREY GATHER BENEATH THE HIGHLEDGE FOR A CLAN MEETING!" Bramblestar's, loud, commanding voice rang out. Threekit panicked. _I'm not ready!_

All the other cats were gathered as he padded into the clearing. Heads turned toward him in complete silence. Threekit avoided the curios, staring eyes. Silently he crouched beneath the Highledge, and, coiling his tails beneath him, he used them to push himself up, and he landed neatly on the ledge beside Bramblestar. A small gasp went through the crowd; the Highledge was twenty feet from the ground.

Threekit met his grandfather's eyes briefly, and the leader nodded. Threekit stood beside him, and gazed into the crowd.

"Why do you want to become an apprentice so badly?" Bramblestar asked him directly.

Threekit looked at him, unable to think again. Then he looked back at the Clan, and when he met Icepaw's eyes the fog in his head cleared, and he knew instantly what he wanted to say.

He took a deep breath as the Clan waited.

"It doesn't matter what we look like. It doesn't matter where we came from. It doesn't matter if we have fluffy kittypet fur. It doesn't matter if we're blind, or deaf, or mute. It doesn't matter if we're thin and scrawny. It doesn't matter who we had for parents. It doesn't matter if we're…mutated." He gazed at the wide eyed crowd. "What matters is if we truly have the heart of a warrior." Dipping his head, he stepped back. He was done.

A shocked silence hung over the cats of ThunderClan. They had obviously expected him to say more, or to ramble on about how he wanted to be like his siblings and didn't want to be left out or whatever.

Bramblestar finally looked up from the ground, and you could see there were tears in his eyes.

"Sentence has been passed," He croaked, "Threekit will become an apprentice."

A wide grin broke out upon the kit's face as angry yowls erupted from the Clan. Mousefoot was almost balancing on his hind feet, he was defying the leader's decision so hard. He was red with fury. Brushkit and many others joined in his cry.

And for once, Threekit didn't care.

**I really like writing this story, so I'm gunna continue! Whoever reviews this chap and the one before it and the one after this gets a free Threekit plushy plus Spiritpaw's warrior name! (Spiritpaw is in the next chapter, and is extremely important and cool!)**

**I love Threekit so I guess, REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Five_

"It is now time for three new apprentices to be named," Bramblestar yowled. Threekit stood proudly beside Chalkkit. On her other side was Brushkit.

"Brushkit, please step foreword." Bramblestar said. The tabby and white tom padded up, away from his siblings.

"Brushkit, from this moment on you will be known as Brushpaw. Your mentor will be Whitewing. She is a skilled cat, and will pass on those skills to you."

Brushpaw was quivering with happiness as he touched noses with Whitewing and stepped away.

"Chalkkit, please come up."

Chalkkit stepped foreword. Her body was still and calm.

"Chalkkit, from this moment on you will be known as Chalkpaw. You're mentor will be Spiderleg. He has been a warrior for a long time and is experienced. He will teach you well in the ways of the wild."

Chalkpaw touched noses with Spiderleg and they moved back.

"And finally…Threekit. Come foreword."

Threekit stared into his leader's eyes with his own green ones and awaited his new name and mentor.

"Threekit, from this moment on, you will be known as Threepaw. You're mentor will be Berrytalon. He will teach you how to hunt and fight well."

Threepaw was almost blinded by shock and fury. Berrytalon had a tail disorder, just like him! When Berrytalon had been a kit, he had lost more then half his tail in a fox trap.

Threepaw opened his mouth to protest, but Berrytalon, smiling loosely, was already pressing his nose to his.

As the Clan broke up, Berrytalon said to Threepaw, "Hey, we're in it together now." and laughed loosely.

As he padded away, Threepaw stared at his back furiously. _No! You're wrong!_ He thought, _everyone likes you, and nobody thinks about your tail. Unfortunately for me, everyone_ hates_ me and all they ever think about _are_ my tails!_

He sighed. He would never fit in, and he knew it.

Brushpaw sauntered over. "Hey, two to many, what're you gunna be doing with your mutant mentor tomorrow? Probably learning how to move your tails!" He cracked up as he left.

Threepaw stared after him in anger. Feeling it mount in his blood, red and hot, he ran from the camp as fast as he could until he reached the clearing by the river, near ShadowClan territory.

He stared at the water sadly. Why was he hated because of his tails? What difference did it make if he had two to many of them?

He heard a quiet yell behind him and turned. It was Icepaw.

"Why'd you follow me?" Threepaw asked. The white apprentice sat down in front of him.

"You were upset," She said.

"Well, it's always one tail jibe after the other!" Threepaw yowled angrily, "And I still don't see why it matters that I have more then one tail! Maybe if I was normal I'd understand." He added sadly.

He tucked the two side tails underneath him and looked at himself. He looked strange with only one tail, and he shuddered.

"Well, I don't see why it matters either and I'm…normal." She cocked her head, looking curiously into his eyes.

"Well Brushpaw and Mousefoot and Berrytalon and everyone else does!" He yowled sadly.

He turned toward the river again.

"Threepaw," Icepaw said quickly, darting foreword, "You're in ShadowClan territory!"

"What--," he gasped, whirling around. But it was two late. Icepaw had vanished and three ShadowClanners had come across him.

"What's a ThunderClanner doing here?" asked the first cat, a black tom.

He came foreword to question Threepaw, who stayed crouched with terror.

Suddenly someone else screamed. It was a pale she-cat, drenched in ShadowClan sent.

"DON'T TOUCH IT, SMOKEFOOT! Oh, it's horrible! It's revolting! It's abnormal! It isn't a real cat! BACK AWAY, SMOKEFOOT!" She was yowling

"What in all StarClans are you yelling about. Ivytail? It's a stupid ThunderClan apprentice." Smokefoot said impatiently.

Ivytail shuddered as she stepped foreword. "It h-has th-three tails!" She wailed.

Threepaw sat up, angry and confused.

Smokefoot looked shocked, and then he saw the tails too, and pulled back in disgust. "Why on earth are ThunderClan letting scum like this into their Clan? Spiritpaw, check it out." He said to the third cat, obviously his apprentice.

"Oh yuck, must I?" yowled Spiritpaw loudly.

"Oh course! And if you don't, I'll tell your mother, Tawnypelt, that you're so cowardly you can't even approach a ThunderClan apprentice."

Spiritpaw spit and then strode foreword. "Stand up, scum!" he commanded.

Glaring, Threepaw obeyed.

"What the heck's your name? Yucktail or somethin'?"

"It's Threepaw," He said.

"Wow. Fits. But I'dav named ya' somethin' grosser, considering how gross you are. Now, what the hell are you doin' on our territory?"

"It was an accident. The border wasn't clear and I stumbled just over it."

"Mmm." Said Spiritpaw, "Right. Unfortunately, you a trespasser so I gotta deal with ya."

"That's the way to handle it, Spiritpaw!" Smokefoot yowled.

Spiritpaw smiled back at his mentor, then crouched down, lashing his tail.

Threepaw, though being unable to fight, copied him, swishing his three tails together. He did not doubt there strength, and knew they would be his only weapon. He was also the only one who knew how to use his tails; no mentor could teach him how.

Spritpaw jumped unexpectedly, and he was very fast. Threepaw rolled over, barely avoiding the dark silver tabby tom.

Spiritpaw snickered. "That the best you can do?" He mocked.

"Sure it is," Threepaw said. Secretly he smirked, knowing the tom had not been expecting that for an answer.

"Then you have a long way to go. Take that!" Spiritpaw slashed his claws through Threepaw's flank, until blood bubbled up.

Threepaw used his tails to push himself up, and he glared at Spiritpaw. "Don't ever do that again." He growled

"Oh right," Spiritpaw laughed. "Now, have you given up already?"

"Sure I have." Threepaw said, almost cracking up at Spiritpaw's shocked look.

"Then I'll give you more!" Spiritpaw yowled. This time, Threepaw was ready. He ducked and lashed out, scoring his tails like whips across Spiritpaw. He yowled as he fell to the ground. Threepaw leaped foreword, and wrapped all his tails around the silver tom's neck. He smiled as he watched them coil tighter and tighter.

"Sop," Spiritpaw rasped, turning purple, "Sop."

Threepaw smiled. Spiritpaw couldn't even annunciate. Slowly he uncurled his shiny black tails from Spiritpaw's neck.

The silver tabby tom rasped and coughed, eyes watering.

"Where'd that come from?" He rasped. He tried curling his tail the same way Threepaw had, but it could curl no where near as tightly. Threepaw's tails were flexible.

Spiritpaw staggered to his feet. "I'm sure not done yet," he gasped, eyes now streaming. "Not by a long, long way." He stumbled foreword, and then stuck out, fast and hard, at Threepaw. The extra-tailed tom winced, knowing he was going to be hit before he was.

Suddenly, there was a blur of white, and a silver flash fell to the ground, while the white wrestled it. The silver wriggled then fell still beneath the white.

It was Icepaw, and she had Spiritpaw pinned down. Her paws were on his neck, deadly claws unsheathed.

"Hey," Spiritpaw said, smiling slightly, "That was a cool move."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Icepaw said coldly. "Why are you stooping so low as too try so hard to kill a very recently named apprentice?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know he was so young."

"Sure you did," She snarled, shaking him a little in her grasp. "Don't play idiot-boy on me."

"Sorry." He said. His red/amber eyes looked into her piercing blue ones.

"Hey, you ain't too ugly," Spiritpaw said, smiling sloppily.

"Thanks," She said, blushing.

Threepaw watched in confusion. What kind of power did Icepaw have to make the aggressive tom back down so easily?

"I'm going to let you go now. But you better run like the wind back to your camp, or I'll be after you with my teeth ready to eat your rump off."

As she said that, Smokefoot and Ivytail slunk quietly away.

"Alright I will. But can I say goodbye?"

"Sure," Icepaw said, and smiled.

"Bye, then."

She released him, and he stood there, staring at her.

"GO!" She commanded.

"Yeah—Sorry!" He yowled, and started running as fast as he could. He called over his shoulder, "See you at the Gathering!"  
Icepaw smiled as she turned around and started walking back to ThunderClan with Threepaw.

"That was interesting," She said.

"Icepaw—what are we going to tell the Clan about seeing ShadowClan? They'll smell them on my fur."

"Oh yeah. I guess I'll just say I was teaching you how to hunt, and you accidentally chased a rabbit over the border."

"That'll work," Threepaw said, admiring her skill at lying.

"Here," Icepaw said. She dashed foreword and killed a rabbit and a vole. "Smother your scent on them," She commanded.

He did as she said, rolling around on the warm prey bodies.

"There, now they know you were hunting." She smiled helpfully and they continued on, Threepaw holding the prey like it was his first catch.

He thought about almost choking Spiritpaw with his tails. He ran foreword to through the cool night air to catch up with Icepaw and said,

"Hey Icepaw? I think I might have a new gift."

**That was long. Anyway…REVIEW!!**

**Ok, basically the most important characters in the story are going to be:**

**Threepaw (Duh)**

**Icepaw**

**Spiritpaw**

**The trio! XD REVIEW PLEASE! Who thinks Threepaw's tails benefit him more then disable him?**


	6. Chapter 6

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Six_

Mousefoot was the first one to see Threepaw and Icepaw pad into camp. He looked up and growled at his son. "You stink! Not like that's a surprise, considering that with more tails you'll have more rear ends." Cackling, he fell back, almost breathless with laughter.

Threepaw was horrified, speechless with fury. What kind of a remark was that? A really rude one, that's what!

"Who in DarkClan do you think you are?" Icepaw snarled at the tabby and white tom.

Mousefoot looked up, tears of laughter in his eyes. "He _STINKS_!" He cackled.

Icepaw took a big risk. "Of course he does! He's been on ShadowClan territory, and they smell like a fox that's been dead for a moon."

Mousefoot's laughter died slowly away, He sat up. "What on earth?" He asked, his breath making clouds of mist in the cold night air. "Why were you on ShadowClan territory, you sneaky, traitorous little brats?" He snarled. He leaned up to them, exposing his teeth until Threepaw could almost taste his foul breath.

Threepaw dropped his prey but, being to afraid to speak, he hoped Icepaw would give Mousefoot their cover-up story.

She did.

"I was teaching him how to hunt. He chased a rabbit over the border and they caught him." She explained. Threepaw held up his prey.

Mousefoot frowned and looked at them skeptically. "It's a little early for Threepaw to learn how to hunt, but, whatever. At least Icepaw isn't dead, but it'd be a relief if you were, Threepaw, considering you _stink_ so much!"He cracked up again, obviously in love with his cruel joke.

They watched Mousefoot head into Bramblestar's den and disappear.

"He's telling Bramblestar," Threepaw said gravely to his friend.

"Well, Bramblestar would find out no matter what," Icepaw replied. "We'll be needed, so get ready to be called."

Her words came true. Bramblestar poked his head from his den and yowled, "ICEPAW! THREEPAW! Come over here!"

Threepaw led the way as they bounded toward their leader and Threepaw's father.

They stopped outside Bramblestar's den and waited permission to come inside.

"Come in," Bramblestar said. After they seated themselves in the comfy moss he began, "Is what you told Mousefoot true?"

"Yes," They said in unison, then glanced at each other.

"Why did you want to teach Threepaw to hunt so early?" He asked Icepaw.

Icepaw took a big breath, "He was sad, and felt like he'd never fit in-,"

"-He won't-," Mousefoot interjected.

Icepaw gave him a cold glare, -"And I helped him feel better. He managed to catch some good stuff, too. I'm sorry about the whole ShadowClan incident."

"It's alright." Bramblestar dipped his head, "You're cleared of all possible charges. Now, head to bed! It's been a big day."

That was true, and Threepaw welcomed the thought of sleep.

They padded together to the apprentices den. Instantly, Icepaw relaxed beside Foxpaw, her brother, leaving nobody for Threepaw to sleep by. Chalkpaw was always just 'ok' to him and she was snuggled beside Brushpaw, and he was beside Featherpaw, who was beside Nightpaw. Everybody had someone else but Threepaw.  
The three tailed kit lay down in a vacant nest at the edge of the den. He covered himself with his tails. He didn't need somebody else to sleep by. His tails made him warmer then any cat could.

**PLEASE REVIEW!! I'm so happy at all the reviews and new readers I'm getting. Thanks for reviewing and please keep at it! lol**


	7. Chapter 7

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Seven_

Threepaw was awoken early to Berrytalon prodding his shoulder in a rather painful way. "Wake up tail buddy! It's time for training."

He opened his eyes and looked up at his mentor. "Oh hi." He said with very forced enthusiasm.

He looked around. Icepaw was already out at training, so was Featherpaw, and Chalkpaw. Brushpaw and Nightpaw still slept.

"Hazelflower's given birth to her kits, finally." Berrytalon informed him as he swished his stubby tail. "I'm gunna go see them. Be right back." He dashed across the clearing. Threepaw decided to see them too, and followed him.

Hazelflower lay asleep, two kits in her belly. One was a pale brownish-grey and the other was a ginger tabby.

Hazelflower awoke and smiled drowsily at them. "Brookkit and Sunkit." She said, "Both she-cats." She closed her eyes again. Berrytalon congratulated her, then left.

Threepaw heard Whitewing talk to Brushpaw from across the clearing. "Today, we're going to take about four steps out of the camp and sniff around. Over the next moon, we'll slowly cover the territory, four steps out at a time."

Threepaw snorted with laughter at Brushpaw's horrified look.

Berrytalon turned to his apprentice. "Today, we're gunna tour the territory briefly, and then I'm gunna teach you how to hunt. That sound good?"

"Sure does!" Threepaw said, glad to have something better then Brushpaw.

He followed his mentor out into the forest.

Berrytail was constantly saying stuff like, "Watch your third tail. There's a thorn, left your middle tail. Careful with the first tail. Don't whack the tree with your third tail there."

_Yeah, like it's like I don't know how to use my tails, _Threepaw thought angrily.

"WOAH! Don't hit me with that second tail of yours!"

Threepaw glared out_. I wasn't going to, _he thought. He hadn't even moved his second tail. Why was Berrytalon drawing so much attention to his tails? Threepaw would have preferred if he ignored them.

They toured the territory easily, and Threepaw found it rather boring. When they reached the ShadowClan border, he felt his tails thicken at the memory of Spiritpaw. But the dark silver tabby apprentice was nowhere to be seen today.

Sunhigh had already passed, so they headed back to the training place to learn how to hunt.

"Ok, Threepaw. Copy me." Berrytalon said. He crouched down. Threepaw saw his shoulders bulge as he put his weight on them.

Threepaw fell easily into the same crouch, and it felt like he almost wasn't touching the sandy floor.

Berrytalon crept silently foreword, his shoulders falling in turn.

Threepaw moved slowly, he could feel his weight being transferred from one shoulder to the other as he moved across the ground.

Berrytalon sat up. "Wow! That was good for someone as young as you." He moved around then sat down. "That was the mouse crouch. I was so light on my paws because a mouse can feel you through the ground, unlike the rabbit, which can hear your paw steps a yard away, almost!"

Threepaw nodded slowly.

"Now, copy this crouch." Berrytalon only slightly crouched, and then he hurried across the ground, as silent as ice on a still morning. Threepaw copied him, racing across the ground like his wings had paws, his tails steering him gently. Finally he jumped on imaginary pray, scathing his claws across its back before chomping its neck and killing it.

"Once, again, perfectly done! Why don't you try this on real prey?"

"Sure!" Threepaw bounded from the hollow, racing across the ground as he searched for a rabbit or a mouse.

He heard a mouse a little ways away, scuffling in a tree. He pulled himself into the crouch, feeling his weight residing in his shoulders. Threepaw slowly crept foreword, and then his legs burst silently into action. He made a perfect arc as he sailed down to his mouse and killed it by biting its head.

He buried it, not ready to return to Berrytalon yet. He raced on, searching for a rabbit. He found one almost instantly, hopping through the grasses. Threepaw was so quiet, he didn't even breathe. Then, silently, he raced across the ground, gaining speed as he went. He leaped, his paws open for the kill. As soon as his claws touched its back, it took off running. He streaked after it, forgetting silence. He jumped as fast and hard as he could until he brought it wailing toward the ground, where he could wash his muzzle in its blood.

He stood up smiling. He dragged it with him as he gathered his mouth and came back to Berrytalon.

"Well done!" his mentor praised. "I think it's time to head back, don't you?" Without waiting for an answer he walked off toward camp. Threepaw followed more slowly, proud of what he had done today.

When he dropped his catch on he fresh-kill pile, he felt he gazes of others on his pelt, and he had never felt so happy.

Ready to burst with pride, he padded toward the elders den and gave them a shrew. Then he took his mouse for himself and headed toward the rocks, near Bramblestar's den and ate.

Threepaw heard, without meaning too, voices drifting from the cave in the rocks.

"I mean, I'm only letting Threepaw to the gathering because ShadowClan found out about him, and if I didn't take him, they would ask about him and embarrass up. If they hadn't found out, we could have never had the other Clans know we had such a sick, weak little mutant among us. We could have hid him when we were attacked…it would have been perfect." That was Bramblestar.

"Yes, that is true," Answered Thornclaw's voice. Then the tom left the den. He looked shocked when he saw Threepaw, but Threepaw acted like he hadn't heard anything. "Hello, Thornclaw!" he called to the deputy.

Thornclaw's shocked expression disappeared, and he nodded to Threepaw. Then he hurried down the rocks.

Threepaw stared sadly at the mouse he had been eating. He wasn't hungry anymore.

Bramblestar didn't care about him. In fact, he took Threepaw as an embarrassment, a disgrace to his Clan. It was so sad that Threepaw could barely breathe. Nobody truly cared about him.

He wrapped his left tail around his mouse and then flung it into the clearing.

**Incase you're confused, here are the full descriptions of Threepaw, Icepaw and Spiritpaw:**

**Threepaw- pitch, shiny black tom with bright green eyes and three long, flexible tails.**

**Icepaw- Pure white she-cat with sapphire blue eyes, one black paw.**

**Spiritpaw- solid dark silver, not quite grey tom, one patch of white on chest and small white blaze on nose. Tabby with amber/red eyes.**

**There you go darlins! Review now!**

**Thanks to all who reviewed! Questions answered in next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Eight_

Threepaw dragged his catch, a rabbit and two squirrels over to the fresh kill pile, where he dropped them. Brambleclaw, perched on Highledge, put on a huge fake smile at the three tailed cat. As soon as he turned away, Threepaw snorted in disgust.

Threepaw watched Chalkpaw bound over to Brushpaw, and they lay down together.

"So, are you heading to the gathering, Brushpaw?" Chalkpaw asked her brother.

"Yeah I am! You?" He said excitedly. He was happily twining his tail with Featherpaw.

"Sure I am," She said.

Brushpaw scooted closer to her and lowered his voice. "Yeah, but so is two to many." He growled.

Chalkpaw snorted and rolled her eyes, "Why does he have to be included I everything?" She pulled closer to her brother, and he drew Featherpaw right up. They all stared at Threepaw coldly.

Threepaw had heard what they were saying and he swiveled his ears back angrily. He flicked his tails together to show them that he didn't care what they thought. In truth though, he did.

"OK!" Bramblestar yowled, and he looked up, "All the cats going to the gathering should get ready to leave."

Icepaw was the first to get in line, Threepaw after her. "Hi," He said. She purred.

Nightpaw and Foxpaw drew up behind them, talking loudly to each other about the day's catches and what not.

Threepaw saw Brushpaw, Chalkpaw and Featherpaw approach. They looked mean and menacing, and they pushed Foxpaw and Nightpaw out of the way to stand in front of Threepaw. Drawn up to their fullest height, they looked huge.

"What do you want?" Icepaw snarled at them.

Brushpaw glared at her, "Stay out of it so we won't have to hurt a she-cat."

"I don't give a mousedung if you hurt a she-cat. Not that you could, anyway." She hissed.

Featherpaw narrowed her eyes. "Leave him alone," She said, acting all girly.

"Then you leave Threepaw alone. Does that seem like fair trade off?"  
Featherpaw just stared at her with judgmental eyes.

Brushpaw said, "Ew. Come on guys, let's get out of here before these dirty, mutated little creeps get to us." They paraded away.

Their strut made Threepaw almost furious. Silently he leaped, using his tails to guide him to he steered quietly through the air. Brushpaw didn't even know it was happening until Threepaw latched onto his back.

Brushpaw yowled and then saw who it was. "OH YUCK! GET IT OFF ME!" He screamed.

Threepaw slapped his tails into his mouth. Brushpaw rolled over and his hind legs kicked feebly as he attempted to knock the cat off, meanwhile using the rest of his energy to try to scream for help around the tails.

Threepaw swished his claws through Brushpaw's chest while the tabby and white tom shrieked. Featherpaw ran foreword, and Threepaw broke her leg by slicing his middle tail across it.

Chalkpaw leaped in, but Threepaw's left tail grabbed her around the neck and flung her back.

"HELP ME!" Brushpaw managed to yell. Threepaw tightened all his tails around the tom's throat.

"NO!" Brushpaw's eyes bulged. Finally Threepaw released him, and as the black tom walked off, Brushpaw screamed, "YOU WILL REGRET DOING THIS!" He barely managed to say this through his angry sobs.

"Or will I?" Threepaw said confidently.

At that moment, the cats going to the gathering leapt out of the hollow. Threepaw caught up with Icepaw. "Well done," She said, "I liked the way he spluttered and cried at the end. It's good therapy for the little prat."

Threepaw laughed so hard on that he tripped and fell. Icepaw reached down and yanked him up by the scruff. "Huh?" she asked him.

"Sorry." He said, turning redder then roses. He hurried after her, making no conversation whatsoever.

"There's gunna be a lot of cats," Icepaw said, "I remember my first gathering. It was a long while ago, right after I became apprenticed. When ThunderClan got there, we were late, so everyone else was already there. There was so many cats…" She trailed away, staring foreword, "That night, when we were returning, Greystripe and Millpaw (AN: Millpaw is Millie) were both killed in a totally unpredicted ambush my ShadowClan. Now we're mortal enemies with them." She sighed, looking at the ground rushing beneath her paws, "I wish we could just get along."

Threepaw looked at her, unclear of what to say.

"And a little while before that, Firestar, the leader before Bramblestar, was going to bring message to ShadowClan. He only brought the medicine cat, Leafpool, with him. Leafpool returned, saying Firestar was dead. (AN: Well…whatever. Does Firestar die in Dark River? I haven't read it yet, so don't tell me.) And, the thing is, Firestar still had seven lives left."

"What? That's not possible! How long was he gone?"

"Oh, about three minutes." Icepaw said, "Why?"

"Because you can't kill a leader seven times in three minutes! It's physically impossible!" Threepaw exclaimed.

"Well, it happened." Icepaw shrugged, "Who knows."

As ThunderClan neared the island, Chalkpaw came up to Threepaw. She walked quietly beside him for a while before speaking, "I'm sorry for being so mean, earlier." She muttered, "I thought about it, and I realized bullying you because of your tails is wrong."

He looked at her in shock. "Really?"

She nodded. "Are we ok, then?"

"Sure." He said. He padded beside her and Icepaw, feeling happy.

They reached the bridge. "After you," Threepaw said to Icepaw.

Icepaw followed Poppytail onto the bridge, and he went after her. The fallen pine tree swayed beneath his paws. There were a lot of cats on it.

Threepaw curled his tails up nervously. What would the other Clans think about them? He was positive nobody would think they were anything better then gross.

He hopped onto the island, staying close beside Icepaw. WindClan was the only Clan there yet, and they ran out to meet the ThunderClanners.

Bramblestar was strutting around, looking proud and full of himself with his fur sticking out. He paraded past the WindClan cats, trying to make it look like they were less then him.

Threepaw hung near the edge.

"Uh-oh," Whispered Icepaw, wincing. "Here come the WindClan apprentices. So chatty."

A brown she-cat, a ginger tom, a black she-cat and a pale grey she-cat all hurried up.

"Oh hi Icepaw! I haven't seen you for like, so long! It's like oh my StarClan!" Said the brown she-cat.

"Hi, Sedgepaw." Icepaw said slowly.

"Where've you been?" Asked the pale grey she-cat.

"Oh, Bramblestar just didn't choose me for the gatherings, Swallowpaw" Icepaw answered.

The black she-cat stepped up, "Hey, you don't know me, but I'm Thistlepaw. Are you Icepaw? Firepaw told me about you." He gestured to the ginger tom.

"Yeah, I am." Icepaw smiled at Firepaw. "Oh I'm sure you'd tell_ everyone_ about_ me_."

Firepaw grinned. "I sure did. Are you searching yet, Icey?"

"Searching for what?" The white she-cat asked in confusion.

"A mate! I sure am!"

"No, of course not! I'll search when I'm an experienced warrior."

"Oh wow. Not sooner?" All his friends flocked around him, giggling and trying to push him closer to Icepaw.

"Nope," She shook her head.

The grey she-cat broke into a fit of giggles.

"Who's your friend?" Firepaw gestured to Threepaw.

"His name's Threepaw. He's a new apprentice."

Firepaw looked at him blankly. "Mmm. See you, Icepaw! We have to go find Heatherflight and Breezecloud now. They'll be waiting. They're perfect mates!"

Icepaw smiled and nodded him off.

Threepaw had noticed something. Lionheart was talking to a pale tom, and he looked quickly back at Firepaw when he said he had to go find Heatherflight and Breezecloud. Then he nodded to the pale tom and started wandering through the cats.

"I'll be right back," Threepaw said. Tucking his tails close to him, he hurried silently after Lionheart.

His uncle stopped beside Heatherflight. Threepaw ducked down in the crowd and acted like he was just milling about. He heard everything though.

"Heatherflight," Lionheart muttered. She turned around, surprised, then grinned. "Oh hi Lionheart!" Lionheart gave a small, forced smile.

"I would like to talk to you," he said.

"Oh sure! What about?"

"Come over here." Lionheart led Heatherflight away.

Threepaw padded silently. He tucked himself into the grass and started listening.

Lionheart was staring at the ground. Finally he spoke, "Are you happy with Breezecloud? I hear your mates now."

"Oh yeah!...I mean…yeah…yeah…I'm pregnant with his kits now."

Lionheart looked up quickly. "Really….Wow."

"Hollybranch had kits," Lionheart said, "The thing is, she had only been a warrior for less then half a moon."

"She's your sister?"

Lionheart nodded. He was still looking at the ground.

"She said she wanted to know what it was like…being a queen. I guess she didn't like it."

"Why?"  
"Her kitting wasn't pretty. One of her kits had three tails."

Threepaw pulled himself farther into the bushes. Heatherflight glanced briefly at him but saw nothing.

"I'm so sorry."

Lionheart lifted his head but looked out at the sparkling lake. "How long have you and Breezecloud been mates?"

"Oh...two moons!"

He nodded. "Are you planning on having more kits?"

"Oh…I don't know. I have to find out how well my first litter goes."

"Well, you should. I would, anyway."

She glanced quickly at him. "Really."

"Um…Yeah." Lionheart looked back at the ground. "Heatherflight, I loved you."

She pulled back, surprised, then relaxed. "I know." She said softly. "Lionheart…It happened so fast…I'm not sure…what happened. All of a sudden my whole world was turned upside down. B-Breezecloud…Said you were dead."

Lionheart gasped and looked up, "Why?"

She shook her head, "He said I had to get over you…He helped me cope…And then, just like that, Kestrelfur told me I was gunna have Breezecloud's kits. I've been trying to love him, but it's hard." She stopped, and then said, "I loved you."

Lionheart said nothing.

"I have to go now…Go be with…Breezecloud."

He nodded. He understood. Heatherflight smiled sort of sadly at him and then padded quietly to her mate. He licked her.

Lionheart's eyes were sparkling with sadness as he padded along the bank. Threepaw pulled himself from hiding and stumbled away from his uncle, his mind whirling at what he had just heard.


	9. Chapter 9

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Nine_

Threepaw watched Lionheart stare silently out at the water as he walked alone the bank. Suddenly the golden tom stood up and dashed after Heatherflight. She got up and bounded to him.

"Yeah?" She asked, sounding fearful and sad.

"I—I have a mate too!" Lionheart gasped. He was gasping for breath and panting. "Honeytail! She said you were dead…just like Breezecloud had about me."

Heatherflight looked up, "No…" She whispered.

"Her kits—my kits are apprentices now." Shaking with sobs, Lionheart looked at the ground, "She just started saying that you were dead. Then…like…two days after, she was expecting. I didn't know what happened, but I hadn't meant for it to!"

Heatherflight wound her tail around his. "Meet me here at sunset a week from today." She whispered, and bounded away.

Lionheart nodded, looked around, and saw Threepaw. His eyes grew wide with fear. Leaping foreword, he pushed Threepaw into a bush and pinned him down, as the leaders called for the gathering to start.

"What did you hear?" He snarled.

"Nothing! I don't know what you're talking about!" Threepaw wailed.

Lionheart sunk his claws into Threepaw's chest. "Don't lie! Now talk fast: what did you hear, mutant?"

Threepaw, who wasn't very big, was gasping for breath. "Everything..." He rasped, "Right from where you bounded over to her after Firepaw said Heatherflight and Breezecloud were perfect mates!"

Lionheart spat on the ground. "Next time, mind your own business! Now, what am I going to do with you?"

"I can help you," Threepaw barely meowed, "I could help you get her back."

"Oh right. And if you tell any other living or dead soul what you heard…" He swiped his claws across his own throat to show he meant it. Then he bounded away.

Threepaw struggled to his feet, using his tails to push himself up. He stumbled out of the bush and joined Icepaw and Chalkpaw. They were sitting together, smiling and talking happily. Obviously Chalkpaw had apologized for her bullying earlier to Icepaw too.

"What was that all about?" Icepaw asked Threepaw.

He flicked all his tails together. "Later." He muttered. He looked up at the leaders, gathered on the pine. Only three of them were there.

"As you can see," Onestar was yowling, "Russetstar and her Clan are not yet here—but ah, here they come."

A russet colored she-cat was bounding across the bridge. Muscles etched the ShadowClan cat's sides. Russetstar stopped before she got on the island and let out hideous caterwaul. Then she plowed through the cats to the tree. She leaped up and stopped beside Mistystar. (AN: Firestar, Leopardstar, and Blackstar have all passed away.)

ShadowClan cats flooded into the clearing after their leader. Threepaw saw Smokefoot and Ivytail dash across the ground together to speak to a group of RiverClanners.

Icepaw was looking expectantly at a cat, and Threepaw followed her gaze to a proud silver tom just leaping off the bridge. His whole powerful body moved as he bounded to Icepaw.

"Hello," He said.

"Hello Spiritpaw," She said nervously. Threepaw scooted back a little to give them space.

"I never did ask what your name was." Spiritpaw meowed in soft tones, crouching down.

She crouched down to. "It's Icepaw." She said, flicking her ears.

He smiled. "I like it." He mewed. He looked past Icepaw at Threepaw. "Oh! You're the one with three tails, right? Threepaw?"

"Yeah, I am." He said, shuffling his paws.

"So your leader let you go to the gathering. You'd think he wouldn't." Rolling his eyes, Spiritpaw added, "You know, puttin' on the whole: 'disgrace to my Clan thing.' I personally, don't see how you could be a disgrace. If you only show me one tail, you look like a tot'lly normal cat."

Threepaw blinked in surprise. "Thanks," he muttered.

Spiritpaw continued to talk to Icepaw in low tones as the meeting begun, but Threepaw turned his attention up to the leaders.

"We have many new apprentices," Russetstar was saying, "Snowbird's kits are now Moonpaw, Liqiudpaw, Rosepaw and Crystalpaw." She glared at the Clans icily. "They are training fast and well."

The other Clans info was like, exactly the same. Threepaw yawned until it was Bramblestar's turn.

"Yes, and we have many new apprentices. Nightpaw and Featherpaw, kits of Honeytail and Lionheart. And Hollybranch's kits are also apprentices: Brushpaw, Chalkpaw, and…Threepaw."

"Why's his name Threepaw?" Muttered some cats. Bramblestar flattened his ears. "No reason," he snarled.

"HE HAS THREE TAILS!" Yowled Smokefoot. "I SAW HIM! HE'S AN UGLY DISGRACE!"

Bramblestar snarled as the cats leaped around in protest, growling and advancing on ThunderClan. Threepaw crouched down between many legs.

A cloud covered the moon. "STARCLAN ARE ANGRY!" Bellowed Bramblestar, "THIS GATHERING IS OVER!"  
Threepaw looked curiously at the moon as a cloud covered it. Was StarClan on his side?  
XXX

Chalkpaw made pleasant conversation with Threepaw as they left the island, but they were interrupted by Brushpaw bounding toward his sister with Featherpaw close behind.

"Oh good, Chalkpaw. You're getting the mutant in check." He grinned snottily and meanly at Threepaw.

Turning to Threepaw, Brushpaw snarled, "We're really close to the lake. Why don't you go have a swim? Don't worry; I'll be close behind, ready to keep your head underwater for a long time!" The apprentice cackled snidely at him.

Chalkpaw whirled to face him, Threepaw could feel the fear pulsing from her body as she thought of confronting the strong, mean bully.

"And I'll follow you into the water too, Brushpaw, making sure you get the same treatment you gave to Threepaw right after!" Her voice only shook a little.

Brushpaw laughed, thinking the insult had been aimed at Threepaw.

"Hey, I'm talking to you, you dumbutt!" Chalkpaw snarled.

He looked blank, then surprised, then angry. "Time to get your brain fixed, then." He hissed, glaring at her with unmistakable fury. "Nobody insults me. Oh and by the way, you're really ugly, so I'd wash that sick fur of yours before rats decide to make their homes in it!" He started to parade away.

"Why don't you do that to yourself!" Chalkpaw yelled at the brother she no longer admired.

Brushpaw just snorted and waved his wail.

Chalkpaw was shaking as Threepaw pressed his flank to her smoky coloured side.

"He scares me…" she whispered.

"Eventually, you'll find he's actually just a stupid, insecure buffoon." He told her.

"Yeah, but I did respect him until now and-," She was interrupted by a hideous shriek. Thornclaw was being pinned to the ground by a ShadowClan cat.

"KILL THEM ALL!" Russetstar ordered her Clan. ShadowClan warriors flocked foreword. A young warrior leaped at Threepaw. He slapped his tails across her. The warrior screamed and slashed open his flank.

Yowling, Threepaw fell to the ground. He scrambled to his feet and leaped at the warrior, knocking her off her paws. He raked her ear but she bit his shoulder. Half tripping, Threepaw stumbled away from her as she stood up.

"ICEPAW!" He saw her, battling Smokefoot bravely. She whirled and saw him, then squawked as her opponent raked her back.

Threepaw bounded foreword, past Bramblestar, who was trying to maintain his I'm-Really-Experienced look as he fought a well-skilled and fit Russetstar.

An apprentice slammed into the three tailed cat, knocking him off his paws. Threepaw yowled as rock hard claws and bones pummeled his side. Feeling blood run down his flank, Threepaw tightened all three of his tails around the cat's chest and threw him out into the throng of cats.

He looked around, and then leaped at a warrior. A tawny she-cat looked at him, mouth open in a snarl. It was lean and battle scarred, and upon seeing the young apprentice, she slashed her claws down his face. He shrieked, and wanting to leave his mark on her, sunk his teeth into her shoulder. She slashed his haunch and raced off.

Threepaw heard a scream. It was Chalkpaw. Whirling around, he saw her. A huge black tom was fighting her. Chalkpaw battered him with her paws, and he yowled, and leaped foreword, huge jaws snapping her neck. He raised his head, bringing her skin with him in his teeth until it broke and fell back down. Blood ran off his jaws.

Threepaw bounded over. "CHALKPAW!" he yowled. His sister lay half-alive on the ground, her eyes barely open and unseeing. "WAKE UP!" he gasped, and then started helping her to her feet.

"Threepaw…" she muttered and grew limp in his jaws. He dropped her and understood. Chalkpaw was dead.

**NO!!! Threepaw's seen his first death now: how will he react? REVIEW!**


	10. Chapter 10

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Ten_

"Noo…" Threepaw yowled and stumbled back. His eyes glittered with shock, anger and pain. "NO!" He cried. He found Icepaw and ran for her.

She whirled around, giving her opponent a crushing blow.

"What happened?" She gasped.

"Chalkpaw…dead…" Threepaw rasped.

Icepaw took up the bound, and the black tom raced after her. She froze beside Chalkpaw, then dipped her head in grief.

Slowly, the Clan made a silent circle, one my one, around their fallen apprentice. ShadowClan milled about, unsure of whether to attack ThunderClan or not.

Suddenly, Hollybranch fought her way through the crowd and fell beside her kits body.

"CHALKPAW!" she screamed in grief, "NO! WHY? My only daughter…no…no…no…"

Threepaw looked around at Mousefoot. Surprisingly, his father was sitting back, bored, lazily flicking at grass, showing no move or interest to go comfort his mate or grieve for his daughter. Threepaw's fur went up as he saw the tabby and cream tom. Nobody else looked around at Mousefoot.

Bramblestar raised his head to glare at Russetstar. "WHY ARE YOU KILLING SO MANY OF OUR CATS? FIRST FIRESTAR, THEN GREYSTRIPE AND MILLPAW! NOW THIS?"

"That's our business." Confidently and proudly, Russetstar strolled away. Her Clan followed her.

Bramblestar also stood up, dismissing his Clan. Threepaw looked blankly down at Chalkpaw's stained white body as he passed.

"Icepaw! Icepaw, wait!" Threepaw whirled around as a silver tom hissed sharply at his white furred friend. Icepaw froze and whirled around, facing Spiritpaw.

"What?" she snarled.

He pulled back. "I was just wondering…" His eyes strayed to Threepaw. "Can you go a second?" He asked the three tailed apprentice.

Threepaw glared at him, sticking close to Icepaw.

She looked at him. "No actually, please do go," she said impatiently.

He felt insulted. "Well then!" he snapped, parading away.

Threepaw felt hurt and angry as he barged through the undergrowth. It wasn't like Icepaw to dismiss him like that. She usually included him in everything.

_Unless she only does that to impress Spiritpaw, you know, to show him she hangs out with the cool, interesting cats,_ said a little voice in his head.

_She saved my life!_ He argued back.

_That was only because you talked her into it. You made it clear you didn't want to die._

_But…Without Icepaw I have nobody. Except Chalkpaw, but she's dead now!_

_Do you really believe Icepaw would embarrass her self as much as to hang out with someone who has three tails?_

_HEY!_

_Sorry, but it's the truth._

_She's a loyal friend! _Threepaw argued back, his mind reeling at what he was hearing.

_You don't doubt her loyalty to you?!_

_Of course not! The people who aren't loyal to be hate me. It's simple._

_Threepaw, she's young, pretty and strong! There's going to be a lot of cats out there who are really interested in her!_

_What do you mean?  
Well, she's old enough to start being interested in liking toms and about toms who like her. You're a good friend to her, but soon, you're going to fall behind in her mind, as she suddenly sees a lot of toms who are really cute—like Spiritpaw._

_Well, what about me? Do you think anybody will like me?  
Sorry, but no. You've got three tails, Threepaw. You're not normal._

_Yes I am!  
You're hiding from what you know it true. You will be overlooked in the whole 'mate race.' I am almost positive you will never father kits._

_So I should just go and become a medicine cat?_ Threepaw hated the idea.

_No! Not if you don't want to. Getting a mate isn't even half of being a warrior._

_I guess so._

_And remember, Threepaw, sometimes the ones we truly love are the ones we never have._

Threepaw gasped. _You mean Lionheart may never get Heatherflight?_

No answer.

The voice was gone.

Threepaw sighed and padded on.


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm going to show just a little of Icepaw's and Spiritpaw's POVS. ALSO! I decided to do ShadowClan allegiances because it's kind of essential.**

**ShadowClan**

**Leader- **_Russetstar_- Russet she-cat, apprentice, Liquidpaw

**Deputy- **_Rowanclaw_- Ginger tom, apprentice, Tigerpaw

**Medicine Cat- **_Littlecloud_- Very small tabby tom, apprentice, Flamepaw

**Warriors-**_ Oakfur_- Small brown tom, apprentice, Rosepaw

_Smokefoot_- Smoky black tom, apprentice, Spiritpaw

_Ivytail_- Pale she-cat, apprentice, Crystalpaw

_Owlclaw_- Dark brown tabby tom

_Tawnypelt_- Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes, apprentice, Moonpaw

_Snowbird_- Pure white she-cat, apprentice, Dawnpaw

**Queens- **None

**Kits- **None

**Elders-** _Cedarheart_- Dark grey tom

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Eleven_

Spiritpaw waited until the tips of Threepaw's tails disappeared into the undergrowth before turning to Icepaw.

"I need to talk to you…later…" He said,  
"It's to risky right now, and Flamepaw, Dawnpaw and Tigerpaw are going to get suspicious. I'm their littlest brother, born late. Whatever. Meet me at the border tomorrow, at sunset."

"Where?" She whispered.

"Near the Twoleg bridge. We can hide beneath it."

"Hide?" Icepaw asked quizzically.

"From others. I really have to go now."

Icepaw watched him bound quickly into the undergrowth, after his Clanmates.

Spiritpaw caught up with his Clan. The deputy, Rowanclaw turned his head and glared at the silver apprentice bounded foreword, but with a grunt he swung it back and padded on.

Dawnpaw fell in beside him. "What happened?" He growled.

"Um…I was held back by a ThunderClan apprentice who tried to attack me. I barely got 'way." He inwardly winced as the lies spilled easily from his mouth.

Dawnpaw shrugged. "Hmm. They should have left us alone."

"Well, we did 'tack them first."

Dawnpaw nodded, and Spiritpaw asked, "Do you know why Russetstar wanted to attack ThunderClan so bad?" He asked carefully.

Dawnpaw paused a little, "Well, it was obviously to get all those weirdoes from their Clan." He hurried up, and Spiritpaw dashed after him to see Dawnpaw's brow furrowing.

"You mean the non-Clan born cats?" He asked, thinking of Daisy, Brook, Millpaw, Mousefoot, Hazelflower, Firestar and Berrytalon.

Dawnpaw nodded, "Of course. And also, what was that? A two tailed cat or something? I mean, that's weak and disgusting. ThunderClan is the biggest Clan in the forest, and yet they still think they need more warriors."

Spiritpaw flattened his ears, thinking of Threepaw. The three-tailed tom sure didn't seem like the kind who was weak or disgusting. "I guess…" He muttered.

Dawnpaw looked sideways at him through yellow eyes. "What do you mean? Don't you hate them all?"

Spiritpaw barely met his gaze, thinking of Threepaw and Icepaw.

"Spiritpaw?" Dawnpaw pressed.

Spiritpaw opened his mouth. "Hate who all?" He stalled, desperately searching for something to say.

"Al the mutated cats," Dawnpaw said.

Spiritpaw thought once more of Threepaw and his three tails. He imagined the powerful black tom charging through the forest after an enemy WindClan warrior. _He's not weak at all…_Spiritpaw thought. Finally he had his answer.

"I think we should let ThunderClan make warriors out of who they want."

XXX

Icepaw charged through the forest, trying to catch up with Threepaw. She saw him, just vanishing into the camp. At first she was unsure if he knew she was there, until he swiveled his ears quickly to acknowledge her presence.

Icepaw sped up and stopped beside him, "Threepaw, I just meant that I don't always need you right beside me, always with me every moment of my life."  
"Unfortunately, you're the only one who's actually nice to me." Threepaw skidded to stop and led her into the brambles, more hidden, to speak to her.

"Oh really? And I'm sure Chalkpaw has just been the meanest lately?" She said sarcastically.

"Chalkpaw is DEAD!" he reminded the white apprentice.

For a moment her eyes widened at the awkwardness of the situation. Then she narrowed them and hissed in his face, "I'm not your crutch here, to make you feel ok around your critical Clanmates."

Threepaw glared at her, his heart pounding in his fur, "Well, you saved my life!"

Icepaw whirled to face him, her eyes blazing and her fur on end. Fury pulsed from here. "Oh, so THAT'S it? Just because I didn't kill you when you were tiny you see me as somebody to lean on because I don't call you mutated? And then you use me as a dump for your unhappiness at having three tails? I wish I never had saved you!" Whipping around, she plunged viciously into camp, smacking him in the face with her tail.

He stood up as if to follow her, but stopped. She had given up on him. She was drawn to Spiritpaw by something more then friendship, and she didn't want him.

Standing back, he muttered, "Well, that's it then." Icepaw wasn't everything in his life—not by a long shot. He would easily cope without her.

Threepaw new that he would never truly believe that.


	12. Chapter 12

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Twelve_

Threepaw paddedinto camp as the sun rose, two weeks since he had fought with Icepaw. He had decided he didn't care what she did or thought, and he was just going to become a perfect warrior.

Threepaw sprinted over to Berrytalon. "Can we do some battle training today?" He yowled.

His mentor turned around and smiled. "Pretty enthusiastic! Of course. WOAH! Careful with those tails."

Threepaw had taken to ignoring Berrytalon's unhelpful tail comments. He looked up as one of the newest apprentices, Brookpaw, bounded over with her mentor, Ashfur, at her side.

Ashfur nodded to Berrytalon. "Can we train with you? I am eager to improve Brookpaw's meager fighting skills." Brookpaw flattened her ears, as if hurt, as this, and Ashfur gave her glaring look.

"Sure." The half-tailed tom led the way out of camp, followed by Ashfur then Threepaw.

He could hear Brookpaw panting behind him as they scrambled up the slope.

Threepaw slowed a little for her, wondering why she couldn't keep up. Surely leaving camp wouldn't be this hard?

They stopped climbing and padded on. Ashfur abruptly yowled, "SQUIRREL!"

Without thinking, Threepaw took off as his hind legs exploded into action. He propelled himself foreword, sprinting after the small brown creature.

"GET IT, THREEPAW!" Berrytalon hollered.

Threepaw used his tails to guide him through the fort. The squirrel was taking a winding path, around trees, but with his tails, he could make the sharpest turns the smoothest.

He took a leap, paws outstretched, and landed. His paws broke the squirrel's back and he washed them in its blood. Picking it up gingerly, he raced back to the warriors.

"Well done," Berrytalon praised as Threepaw dropped the squirrel beside his feet.

"That was good," Brookpaw said, nodding her agreement.

As they continued to the training hollow, Threepaw glowed with pride. For a second, everyone had forgotten he had more then one tail. Glancing briefly at the sunlit sky he wondered, _are you watching me, Chalkpaw?_

Event though he missed his sister, he had been slowly overcoming her death, just like everyone else.

They bounded down the slope into the hollow, Threepaw right after his mentor.

Berrytalon whirled to face him as Threepaw situated himself. Brookpaw and Ashfur padded to the other side.

"I'm going to attack you. Pretend I'm a WindClan cat. You know, fast."

He saw Berrytalon leap and he tried to skitter from the way, but found himself pinned down.

"Where are you?" The cream and tabby tom asked, "I said, I'm going to be fast."

"Yeah…Sorry…" Threepaw wheezed. Berrytalon released him and crouched down again. Threepaw was tense, ready to leap.

Berrytalon sprung. Threepaw rocketed upward, as if jumping after an escaping bird. He twisted in midair quickly and shot down at his mentor, flipping him over by the shoulders and pinning him down.

Berrytalon lay under him. "That was good," he praised. Suddenly he heaved upward, throwing Threepaw off him. The three tailed tom twisted on the ground, and as he turned over, Berrytalon leapt. Whirling around, Threepaw struck two paws at his face, making Berrytalon fall to the ground.

Berrytalon called a halt as he stood up. "Interesting techniques, but they work. Just be ready for the counter swipe."

He ruffled the sand from his fur and padded over to the others, Threepaw following.

"Can Threepaw fight with Brookpaw now?" Berrytalon asked.

Ashfur looked up from where he was pinning Brookpaw to the ground. "Sure." He sprang off his apprentice.

Brookpaw stood in front of Threepaw. She wasn't even as big as him, and still looked a bit more kit-fluffy.

"Ok." Berrytalon said seriously, "You may begin."

Brookpaw's legs were quivering in fear as she waited for Threepaw to spring. _She'll need to get over it, or she won't survive in battle…_ Threepaw thought mentally. He slowly tensed his muscles, then shot foreword, paws out stretched.

She turned, almost as if to run, but he hit her, trampling her as he leaped over her easily. Brookpaw yelled, and Threepaw sliced her face with sheathed claws.

"Come on! Fight!" Threepaw pulled away, giving her a good opportunity to attack him that she didn't take. She just pressed herself to the ground in fear.

"Come ON, Brookpaw!" Ashfur yelled at her.

Her eyes fluttered to her mentor and then back to Threepaw. She opened her mouth and started panting.

Threepaw reared up, imagining her as a dying enemy warrior. He come crashing down, flipping her over easily to prepare for the final blow. He stopped and looked over at Berrytalon.

"Who won?" He asked.

"You," Berrytalon said.

Winning this 'battle' didn't make Threepaw feel any victory. Brookpaw hadn't even fought.

Ashfur snorted at his apprentice as Threepaw backed away. "I was hoping you might beat him."

Brookpaw's wide, scared eyes surveyed Threepaw.

"Whatever," Ashfur snarled. "Come on, you coward. Let's see if you can actually _hunt_."

Threepaw watched them leave and then was interrupted by a tabby and white tom plunging into the clearing. Brushpaw.

"You couldn't beat me the way you beat her!" Cackled his brother. He stopped in front of Threepaw while Whitewing came in.

"I'm sure you can, Brushpaw," she praised. "Berrytalon, let's have Brushpaw and Threepaw fight."

"Sure." Berrytalon lashed his tail with excitement.

Brushpaw crouched in front of the black tom.

"I should be yawning, considering you're going to be so bad and slow," Brushpaw insulted.

Threepaw smirked. "Right."

Brushpaw yowled in rage and leaped. Threepaw dived underneath him, raking his belly.

Brushpaw fell from his leap with a angry bellow. Whirling, he aimed a hard slash at Threepaw's eyes. The three tailed tom was scratched slightly on his nose. Threepaw snarled, launching himself foreword until he knocked Brushpaw off his paws. With a hard paw, he smacked his brother in the side and sent him flying. Threepaw sprinted over, scratching him across the chest before he pinned him down.

Berrytalon let out a triumphant yell and bounded to his apprentice. "Well DONE!" he shouted. He had obviously seen the strength in Brushpaw's muscles when the arrogant tom entered the hollow, and he had probably feared that his apprentice would lose.

Whitewing looked put off, and, as Threepaw backed away from Brushpaw, she and her apprentice climbed from the hollow looking very haughty.

"Can we hunt now?" Threepaw asked, swishing his tails happily.

"Um…sure. Nothing wrong with more prey." Berrytalon led the way out.

Threepaw ran ahead of him, scavenging the ground for signs of prey. He smelled mouse, and tracked it, finding it stale. Leaving it, he saw a vole and froze, slowly lowering himself down to the crouch.

He slunk foreword, and leapt when he was in good distance, biting its neck.

He took it with him to where he had buried the squirrel from earlier. He found a rabbit hopping across a sandy clearing. He tried the rabbit stalk on it, catching it easily.

Deciding he had enough, he dragged all three of his catches back to Berrytalon, who carried two shrews and a mouse.

"This looks all good." Berrytalon headed for camp with Threepaw after him. They dropped their catches on the fresh-kill pile.


	13. Chapter 13

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Thirteen _

It must have started that night. Threepaw woke early, as the evening patrol stumbled into camp.

They should have been back ages ago…Threepaw thought randomly.

"Threepaw?" It was Nightpaw, and he squinted through the pale air as if he couldn't see.

There was blood around his eyes.

Sorreltail and Foxpaw stumbled up beside him, followed by Brookfur. Finally, Thornclaw padded foreword and yowled, in a choked, pained voice, "WindClan has waged war on us!"

Instantly, Bramblestar appeared from his den, "Where? Why? Are you sure it's war, not just a border fight?"

Thornclaw whirled to face him and launched in, "We were patrolling the WindClan border. A WindClan patrol, the same size as ours, saw us and leaped over the stream. They attacked, and for no reason. We were injured, and they said, 'ThunderClan must give up their territory to us!' We didn't even know they were having problems in their Clan. We said no, of course. Finally, we were defeated and ran here."

Bramblestar bristled. "Fresh patrol! NOW! Get out and hold them off before they reach out camp! MOVE!"

Poppytail, Hollybranch, Cloudtail and Brookpaw sprinted wordlessly out of camp.

Bramblestar leaped onto the Highledge, and without calling the Clan he yowled, "Run! Protect the nursery! Secure the camp! Prepare for an ambush! Let's go, go, GO!"

Threepaw dashed up to his grandfather. "Can I help fight."

"NO! We need you in camp!" Bramblestar dashed off.

Oh really? Threepaw thought angrily. He was sure Bramblestar just didn't want the Clans to see that he had a cat with three tails in his Clan.

Ashfur was giving orders. "Brushpaw! Build and escape nursery with Whitewing's help! Lionheart, secure the entrance! Threepaw, get in with the kits and protect yourself!"

Threepaw let out a screech of outrage. He wasn't a kit! He was twice the age of Brookpaw, and she got to fight! He was strong, and a really good fighter! He was half Brushpaw's size, and yet he had beaten him in a fight yesterday!

Mousefoot looked down at him, "Hey, I told you what to do. Go do it."

Threepaw lashed his tails, "I'm not a kit!"

"You're as weak as one. Go do what I told you." Mousefoot turned away.

"No." Threepaw growled.

"What?"  
"NO! I'm going to do something that actually helps the Clan."

"There is nothing you can do."

"SHUT UP! There is everything I can do! Watch me!"

Mousefoot whipped his head to stare at him. "How dare you challenge me?" He snarled in deadly soft tones.

"It's easy." Threepaw snarled at his father, "Now, I want to do something worth my time!"

Mousefoot was raking his claws on the ground, preparing for a fight.

Suddenly, Hollybranch strolled over, holding sticks in her jaws to secure the entrance. She dropped them and ran her tail fondly along her mate's flank. "Come on Mousefoot, let him help me. I want to talk to him." She gave him a pleading look.

Mousefoot glared down at his mate and son. "Well…fine! Make sure he doesn't do something stupid---I highly doubt he wont." Smirking cruelly, he strolled away.

Threepaw felt terrible. He had gotten something better then hiding in the nursery, but he hated the way his father treated him.

He followed his mother to the entrance and sat down.

She was typing the sticks to the top of the entrance, locking them in. She looked around at Threepaw. "Get some brambles, and trail them all over the walls so they can't get in.

"Where are the brambles?"

"I'm sure Cinderpelt and Jayleaf will have some," Hollybranch said with her mouth full of sticks.

Threepaw slowly sat up and padded toward the medicine den. He liked the idea of speaking to the medicine cats, and it pricked in his paws.

Cinderpelt looked up as he appeared.

"Oh hi!" She said. She limped rapidly foreword and stopped in front of him.

Her whole body moved as she swished her tail. "What do you need?" she asked.

"Some brambles." Threepaw said.

"Holy StarClan," Jayleaf grumbled, "Who in their right mind needs brambles? We've spent the past year trying to get rid of all the brambles here, it seems."

"Well…It's to protect the camp from WindClan."

"Behind the nursery, near the dirtplace, that's where they are." The blind medicine cat said. "Hurry up."

Threepaw backed from the den and hurried around the camp. He turned and saw Cinderpelt following him.

"Where are you going to put the brambles?" she said rather excitedly.

"Around the edges of camp." He said, glancing back at her.

"Cool!" Cinderpelt nodded then padded after him.

Threepaw gathered several tendrils in his mouth and pulled them along beside him. He draped them over the weeds growing around the camp.

When he was done, he padded back. Cinderpelt had left long ago. He felt terrible; he was scratched and poked from the brambles.

He returned to the entrance to find Hollybranch. She had made several long strings of sticks hanging down from the top of the tunnel entrance, so you had to fight through a curtain to get in.

"How will out Clanmates get in?" Threepaw asked her, "The fighters will be weak when they come back."

"Look here." Hollybranch led him to a tiny tunnel carved into the side of the wall, hidden by a sheaf of bracken, so he wouldn't have known it was there until she pushed it aside. "I just found it. It leads up to the ground."

Threepaw crawled inside. It was tight, and pressed in on him as he scrambled up, following the light. Then he pushed aside the grass and bracken covering the other end and came out. He returned the same way.

"It's great." Threepaw said happily.

Bramblestar had called another meeting, and he padded over.

"We are going out to fight in shifts, ok?" He yowled when the cats had gathered, "So one shift will never get to beaten. We can't let WindClan into our territory, beyond where they are now! Brookpaw," he flicked his tail at the wounded apprentice standing beside him, "Who was just fighting, returned to say that WindClan has gotten a lot more cats with them and their pushing in farther, and that we need a fresh group of ThunderClan cats. Here are the shifts. We will rotate in order. Next up to fight are Lionheart, Sunpaw, Featherpaw, and Hazelflower. The shift after them is, Threepaw, Icepaw, Mousefoot, and Ashfur. Then Brushpaw, Berrytalon, Whitewing and Thornclaw. After them are, Me, Honeytail, Hollybranch and Squirrelflight. Next up are, Nightpaw, Sorreltail, Brookfur and Foxpaw. Finally it will be Poppytail, Spiderleg, Cloudtail, and Brookfur. Are we all set?"

The cats nodded as the last shift returned and the first one, Lionheart, Sunpaw, Featherpaw, Hazelflower dashed out of camp o fight the invaders.

Threepaw felt a warm glow in his chest. He got to fight. It made him feel really happy. His shift was next! He was going to fight with Icepaw. Was that a good thing?


	14. Chapter 14

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Fourteen_

Each shift fought for two hours. Threepaw was wiggling with excitement. He was one and a half hours away from defending his Clan!

He padded into the medicine den. "Anything I can do?" he asked, looking around.

"Yes." Jayleaf said, his jaws clamped on cobwebs as he wrapped Brookpaw's shoulder in them. Get a fresh wad of cobweb and put it on Spiderleg's leg. It's really bleeding."

Threepaw carefully wound the thin strands of dusty web around the black warrior's hind leg. There was a big gash in it, and blood oozed from it.

He patted it when it was done, and Spiderleg nodded, his face screwed up with pain.

"Threepaw!" It was Bramblestar, looking in the den. "Get some sleep now! You're fighting next!"

"Yes!" Threepaw ran to the apprentice's den. Foxpaw and Nightpaw slept soundly, healing as they rested.

Icepaw was settling down too. Threepaw curled up alone and closed his eyes.

XXX

"They're due in five minutes!"

Threepaw jolted awake. Icepaw, Foxpaw and Nightpaw had left the den. He jumped up. Had he missed his shift?  
He sighed with relief. Ashfur and Icepaw were gathering in the corner. Mousefoot padded over to join them, stretching. Threepaw bounded over.

"Are we ready?" Ashfur asked them. There were a few scattered nods.

"Here they are!"

The other shift dashed into camp through the tunnel, wheezing and gasping. Blood littered their flanks.

Instantly, Lionheart sprinted to the medicine den with his shift after him.

"Let's go!" Ashfur's shift stood up. Threepaw felt the adrenaline surge through his veins as he raced after his father through the forest. They saw WindClan: Six of them. Three were fresh and three were already bloody from fighting minutes earlier.

They were surging foreword, trying to claim the forest while their enemies had returned to camp.

Ashfur let out a shriek.

"LEAVE OUT TERRITORY!" he bellowed. Without another word he fell upon the cats with a scream.

Threepaw watched Icepaw barrel into a tabby tom, throwing him to the ground. Threepaw looked for an apprentice, and spotted one from the gathering. Sedgepaw.

He launched himself foreword, paws stretched out. He raked his claws across her flank. She let out a yowl, whirling to face him.

Threepaw opened his jaws to bite her on the shoulder. She jumped out of the way and reared up. She was fresh, like him, and she came crashing down.

Threepaw flipped over and kicked Sedgepaw when she came down. She ran up after she had been flung away.

He ran foreword too, and they met each other, snarling. He tried to flip her over by gripping her shoulders, but she was stronger and tripped him. He face hit the ground as her teeth made a cut in his ear. Screaming with rage and rearing up, he caught her across the jaw. He felt it crack against his skull and looked up to see her jaw flying through the air, trialing blood.

Sedgepaw looked at him in rage and shock, her tongue dangling down. Then, without another word, she raced as fast as she could for her camp.

A black she-cat, whose name was Nightcloud, stared after Sedgepaw, then with a screech, she whirled to face Threepaw, launching herself toward him. She was obviously the apprentice's mentor. She sent a rock hard paw at his mouth, and he fell back to avoid it, exposing his underbelly. Nightcloud leapt on it and started raking at his fur.

Threepaw screamed, and out of desperation, choked her with his tails and then flung her far into the air. She lay coughing and wheezing.

He stood up, but Nightcloud was back, this time aiming to rake his neck with her claws.

Threepaw leaped foreword as she came in for the blow, twisting so she rocketed to the ground mid-jump, He landed on her back and pummeled her with unsheathed claws.

She let out a yowl, twisted, and started scratching his back.

Suddenly, Mousefoot started up a yowl. "INTRUDERS!" Two WindClan cats, several yards from the fighters, were streaking through the forest, circling in on the camp. Their jaws were parted as they panted, but they were fresh.

Threepaw wrenched himself from Nightcloud and raced after the new cats. Icepaw joined in beside him. He neared in on the first cat, faster because he was better at running through trees and undergrowth. He took a giant leap and knocked the cat over, and together they tumbled, rolling quickly through the forest.

Threepaw untangled himself from the cat, a brawny, tan colored male named Harefur.

Harefur screeched when he saw it was an apprentice and lashed his claws at Threepaw's face. Threepaw gasped as blood welled all over his cheeks. As the pain seared through him, Threepaw dropped down, squashing the air from Harefur.

Harefur rocketed up, his teeth tearing some skin from Threepaw's cheek.

Raw agony pierced the black apprentice like a sword, and he let out an eerie wail as he fell back.

He could barely feel himself hit the ground; things were going black because of the pain.

XXX

"Threepaw? THREEPAW!" A harsh, rough tongue lapped his face. When it touched the raw part, Threepaw cried out.

"Hold still. I have to do it. Otherwise you're going to get infected."

He opened his eyes slowly, and saw a white face up to his as it licked. Blue eyes flickered to his but looked away quickly.

"Icepaw?" He whispered. She just grunted.

"Icepaw? What happened to the intruders we were chasing?" he asked.

"I managed to kill mine but the one you were chasing, Harefur, got to the camp," Icepaw said matter-of-factly, "His body was just flung out into the forest twenty minutes ago, and Featherpaw came to tell me Bramblestar had slaughtered him."

"Oh wow…" Threepaw breathed and relaxed against the ground. "Is it still our shift?"

She nodded, messing up the steady rhythm of her lapping. "We have about half an hour left. Mousefoot and Ashfur are still fighting. I stopped to see what had happened to you. You broke half your face."

"Half my face?" He cried, sitting up quickly. Icepaw backed away quickly, and followed him as he found some water.

Threepaw peered at his face. The skin on the left side of it was gone, with some flesh too. He could see a little bit of raw bone.

"No…" He rasped, and realized one of his eyes been slashed too, and he couldn't see from it.

"We have to go fight," Icepaw told him, "Come on." She padded briskly back up the stream.

Mousefoot and Ashfur were battered bags of bones. They could barely keep their balance against four WindClan cats.

Icepaw raced foreword, and Threepaw picked up pace behind her. They attack the other warriors harshly.

Threepaw raked his claws, hard, through one tom's flank until he bellowed. The tom whirled around, and Threepaw dodged the blow the tom had aimed at his face.

Threepaw tried to sink his fangs into the toms shoulder, but got his chest instead. To his shock and horror, he felt his jaws snap the rib bones as they sunk into the tom's chest. Aghast, he pulled away as the tom crumbled beneath him.

"What--," he gasped out, staring at the gaping, red hole in the tom's ribcage.

Threepaw whirled around as claws connected in his back, and a white she-cat raced over to the tom he had killed.

"OWLWHISKER!" She screamed, falling beside the cat that was obviously her mate, "WHY?"

"Whitetail?" A cat broke away from Mousefoot and bounded toward her. Taking in what happened, he whirled to face the ThunderClanners.

"You have become cruel. WindClan will no longer honor your fairness." The tom hissed. Looking at Threepaw, he hissed, "We will be back." He picked up the dead cat's body and padded up the plain.

Threepaw watched them go, as they stumbled over the cats body, and then fell, grieving, beside him.

Threepaw's blood pounded in his ears. _What have I done?_ He thought, aghast.

"Our shift is over." Icepaw's soft voice ruffled his ear fur.

He whirled to face her as she turned her head to the ground.

Threepaw padded foreword, up to Mousefoot. "We won, then right?"

Mousefoot's shoulders slumped, and his head and tail were low. "Of course not," he barked at his son.

Threepaw pulled back, "They left." He said shortly.

"And said, 'We'll be back.'" Mousefoot snarled. He padded on slowly.

Threepaw slowly moved away from him. Was it more then his injuries that made the tabby and white tom seem to upset?

They slipped through the tunnel into camp. Ashfur reported quietly to Bramblestar, and the next shift silently left camp.

"Threepaw?" It was Brookpaw, looking up at him as he staggered into camp. She sprang up and approached him. "Your face! Are you ok?" He felt her pelt brush his as she led him to the medicine den.

He collapsed into moss and laid his head against the ground. Silently, Cinderpelt started putting fresh marigold leaves on his face. Jayleaf looked up as she started making his cobweb covering.

"Put some honey on that," Jayleaf commanded his apprentice, "It'll help sooth his face. The cheek is a really painful place."

Threepaw winced as the cobweb and honey rap went onto his cheek. Cinderpelt pressed her face to his and held it there, whispering, "Be ok, Threepaw." He watched her as she stood up and padded off.


	15. Chapter 15

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Fifteen_

Threepaw staggered from the medicine den. It was eight hours until his shift went out again.

"Icepaw?" he rasped. Where was she?  
She was gone, vanished. "Do you know where Icepaw is?" he asked Brookpaw.

"Sorry, no." She apologized.

XXX

Icepaw pelted through ThunderClan territory, making sure she didn't expose her battle-wounds to the air. She headed toward the Twoleg bridge, sloshing through endless rain.

She saw the wooden thing ahead and put on extra speed, her whole body itching with excitement at the thought of seeing him again.

Icepaw slowed as she reached it, and crawled underneath the bridge for cover from the rain. Spiritpaw wasn't here yet, she waited.

The rain thickened as time ticked by. Half an hour had happened, and Spiritpaw wasn't here.

One hour. Where was Spiritpaw?  
Two.

Three.

She was preparing to give up when the silver tabby tom raced over the ridge and dodged underneath the bridge.

He was soaked as he scrambled up to her. Closing his eyes silently, he pressed his face against hers.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered, drawing away. "I tried to get out, but some warrior or another kept asking where I was going. The 'hunting' fib ran dry, because, well, it was raining. So I got a stupid lecture from Blackstar, and he asked if I was meeting someone. I was so scared, but I said no. Finally, he gave in, and told me to go hunt. So I came out here."

"Well, we do have to put our Clans first," She told him.

He shrugged, looking at the ground. "I guess."

For a moment, uncertainty pricked Icepaw's pads. Spiritpaw _didn't _seem to want to put his Clan first. But, what could be more important then the Clan?

"Well, that doesn't mean we can't see each other!" she meowed, springing to her paws. "I need to show you a new way to hunt mice, anyway! It's so much faster."

As she left the cover of the Twoleg bridge, Spiritpaw muttered, "Icepaw, it's raining. There aren't going to be any mice out tonight."

"But--," She stopped. "I guess."

"I know! We'll play on the bridge instead! It's fun to stand on the slices of wood when it's raining." Spiritpaw charged up the slope, his muscles bulging under his dark silver tabby coat.

He leaped onto the bridge. Icepaw followed, flattening her ears at the rain.

He leaped across the pallets of wood. Icepaw copied him. It was fun.

"Here," Spiritpaw said, "I'm going to get up on the railing and walk across."

"Ok, but be careful. I'll do it too."

Spiritpaw crouched and sprang, landing neatly onto the wooden rail.

She followed him, standing behind him.

Carefully they walked across, placing one paw in front of another.

Suddenly, Spiritpaw slipped.

"NO!" Icepaw yowled as he plummeted toward the dark water. Without thinking she leaped after him, bracing herself for the sting and the splash.

Water sloshed around her as she was dunked under. Swimming strongly she let the current tug her after Spiritpaw.

He was thrashing desperately ahead. Icepaw reached for him, and felt her claws connect in his pelt. Yanking herself foreword, she fastened her teeth around his scruff.

"I got you!" she yowled over the roaring, wailing, pounding of the rain and wind, and the waves created by the swollen stream.

"Icepaw!" He screamed.

They went under, whirling around and around in the dark water. An eel swam past, and Icepaw kicked out in terror. She managed to get a breath, and then she and Spiritpaw were under again.

The stream made sharp turns and bends as it raced down toward the lake. Icepaw hoped to be thrown up against the shore at one bend, but she didn't move fast enough and missed them.

She let out a cry and ducked her head under. She had scraped something hard with her leg and it was in terrible pain. A dark stain, sinisterly red, spread silently away from the gash.

Icepaw gasped as she saw stiller water glistening ahead: the lake. She thrashed out, trying to reach shore before she was sucked into the lake. If she got into it, she wouldn't be able to get out, because land would be so far away.

"NO!" she shrieked. She lashed out,locking herself between the two shores right before she could enter the lake.

She panted as she held on. The current tugged at her, harsh and strong, attempting to suck her under. She looked up the stream, and saw a log coming toward her.

"NO! NOT YET! NO!" she yowled around Spiritpaw's scruff. The log thundered closer, arriving on top of a huge wave. Icepaw squeezed her eyes shut.

All there was was water, and the roaring of the huge save as it crashed down upon her. She was sucked from her grip on the shores, and spun through the water. Her eyes were closed, and all she could do was grip Spiritpaw's unconscious body as tightly as she dared.

She bobbed, up and down, through the water as huge wave after huge wave hit the water, sinking her under. She was tossed about like driftwood, unable to control herself against the waves.

Finally, the mad roaring and thrashing water slowed. Icepaw kicked her way to the surface, gasping for air. She shook the water from her eyes and looked around.

Rain made a quiet rhythm as it hit the water. The night sky was covered with clouds above her. She was not to far from the bank she had come from, but the current pushed her away from it.

At all the shores, huge waves crashed violently, explaining the strength of the whole lake as they slapped together.

Icepaw paddled foreword feebly and stopped. The ground was far below her. The sky was high above. Land was far from her.

She was trapped.


	16. Chapter 16

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Sixteen_

Threepaw squirmed restlessly beside Mousefoot and Ashfur. Where was Icepaw? It was ten minutes until their shift, and the white she-cat had disappeared.

Suddenly, there was a hideous yowling from the tunnel. Featherpaw staggered through, followed by Sunpaw, who instantly leaned against Featherpaw for support. The ginger apprentice's eyes were squeezed up with pain.

The shift was bloodier then ever.

Lionheart appeared, staggering under the weight of another cat he was carrying. Threepaw looked at its fur. It was Hazelflower.

Lionheart dropped her and gasped for breath. Spiderleg crawled over to his dead mate, his kits, Brookpaw and Sunpaw behind him.

"She was killed…by WindClan…tried to help…couldn't…" Lionheart wheezed. His mate, Honeytail, dashed over, pressing herself to him, but he shook his head, and she padded away, looking hurt.

Bramblestar leaped down from Highledge smoothly.

"Spiderleg, Brookpaw, and Sunpaw, I am sorry to see your mate and mother killed. We will grieve Hazelflower deeply tonight, but if we are to keep WindClan from claiming our territory, cats will die."

The Clan was silent.

"The next shift may go," Bramblestar said quietly. He leaped back up to his den.

Ashfur led the way from camp, Mousefoot then Threepaw after him. Threepaw briefly looked back at the camp, to see if Icepaw had appeared, but she was gone.

The patrol padded through the forest, heads and tails hanging. Threepaw glanced around. Why wasn't Icepaw here? What had she dine that made her miss her shift? What would be more important to her then protecting her Clan?

The word was carried with the wind, a quiet whisper in the breeze.

Spiritpaw.

He glanced around. There was nothing. But he knew it was true. She was fascinated with the silver tabby tom.

He let out a shuddering sigh.

XXX

"There they are," Ashfur muttered. The WindClanners were lying down, stretching out on the mossy floor. An apprentice was dragging some ThunderClan prey toward them.

No spark of anger started in Threepaw's heart. He felt sad to the bone, and he didn't even want to yowl at the apprentice that had stolen the prey

Finally Mousefoot growled slowly, in a voice that really lacked any care, "We aren't done yet." The WindClan cats looked up and snarled, still filled with battle-urge.

The WindClanners launched themselves foreword. Threepaw prepared himself for a hard blow from Thistlepaw.

It came, squashing him to the ground.

"YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO HURT MY SISTER!"  
Threepaw looked up at the ranting she-cat. "Oh yeah. Sedgepaw, wasn't it? I broke her jaw."  
"YOU KNOCKED IT OFF! SHE CAN'T BITE ANYMORE, SO SHE CAN'T EAT!" Thistlepaw lashed her tail, tears raining from her eyes, "B-Barkface is mashing up g-grass and pushing it down her throat! She's going to starve, and Crowfeather w-wants to just kill her quickly."

Threepaw lashed his tails, "She shouldn't have attacked my Clan." He snarled. A little bit of adrenaline start up in his veins as he tried to bite the she-cats shoulder, hard. Thistlepaw screeched and tried to knock off Threepaw's jaw, but he just bit her paw. Screaming, she dashed foreword, trying to scratch his flanks. He whacked her paws with his tails so they twisted and she scratched herself.

Mad with fury, she flung all her weight and energy at him. He dodged the random blow and she rolled over and over, plowing right into the brambles. She let out a shriek as they sunk through her thin pelt and into her skin.

Threepaw's head was jerked back as a cat scratched the back of his neck. Threepaw whirled around, and saw a dirty, mangy she-cat with her teeth bared. She moved quickly, and Threepaw's blood splattered the grass as her teeth sunk into the base of his neck. He fell back and hit the ground. She leaped onto his open belly with a snarl.

Threepaw screamed as the talon-sharp claws raked his belly again and again. He twisted, unable to get away from her hideous grasp.

He tried to raise his tails to her neck, but they only twitched feebly. She let out a screech as she bit his leg and tore her teeth along it.

"NO!" Threepaw's anger exploded like water being released from a dam. He shot up at her, throwing her far away from him.

She yelped as she hit the rock hard ground. He bounded away from her.

Ashfur had his teeth over a tom's muzzle, his legs braced against the ground for support. The tom's eyes widened and he fell to the ground, motionless.

Threepaw whirled around, and saw Mousefoot grappling with a pale she-cat. He kicked the she-cat off and bounded away.

A tom leaped at Threepaw. "Oh, it's you!" he snarled as he jumped. Threepaw slashed his claws through the tom, who he recognized as Firepaw.

Firepaw whirled around and lunged at him, teeth wide open for a killing blow.

Threepaw flipped him over and pinned him down, lashing his tails. "You actually think _that_ would kill me?"

Firepaw roared and surged up, throwing Threepaw off him. The three tailed tom felt his claws rake across his back, and blood splattered the grass.

Threepaw snarled. Firepaw leaped at him again, jaws open in another killing bite. Threepaw hissed at him. Firepaw had tried that move on him twice, and had still not succeeded.

"There's more then one way to kill a cat!" Threepaw screeched at him, "And this is one of them!" He tightened his tails around the tom's throat, this time harder then ever. Firepaw's throat broke and phlegm and blood spilled all over Threepaw's tails.

Firepaw squeezed his eyes shut and his jaws opened wide. He fell to the ground and his popped throat glistened harshly in the moonlight. The rainwater instantly drenched him.

"Threepaw!" It was Ashfur, calling him over. Threepaw darted foreword, stopping beside the grey warrior. A huge tom had loomed from the shadows. He looked down, eyes glittering, at Ashfur and Threepaw. His jaws opened and he came in like a bear.

Ashfur didn't stand a chance.


	17. Chapter 17

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Seventeen_

The huge tom disappeared. Ashfur lay stretched out on the ground, his mouth open in a silent snarl, his eyes glazed with death and hatred. His limbs were stretched out in front of him, claws unsheathed.

Mousefoot padded foreword, sniffed Ashfur's flank, then promptly attacked a different cat.

Understanding came over Threepaw like a warm blanket. _If someone dies, you keep fighting and forget about them, because there's nothing you can do about it._

Threepaw stepped away from the fallen warrior's body and stared at the fresh blood glistening on his neck. The three tailed tom smiled slightly. "Good luck, Ashfur." He muttered. Then he turned around, ready to fight.

Their shift was almost over. Mousefoot gave a huge blow to the cat he was fighting, then stooped and picked up Ashfur. He started bounding back to camp. Threepaw followed him quickly.

Mousefoot slipped through the tunnel, Threepaw after him.

They emerged in the camp. Some of the cats, aroused by the early dawn light, came out to see the shift.

"Ashfur?" It was Ferncloud, and she stared at her brother in shock ad sadness.

"It was like Hazelflower," Threepaw explained, "A huge tom came up and snapped his neck. We tried to help him but couldn't."

The Clan all looked upset and distressed, knowing they could be next.

"Lay him here," Bramblestar motioned with his tail and Mousefoot dragged Ashfur foreword and laid him beside Hazelflower.

Bramblestar bowed his head to the two dead warriors. "StarClan, let these warriors have peace amongst you." He whispered.

A murmur went around the Clan.

"We did kill some of WindClan's cats though," Mousefoot said, "I saw Threepaw kill an apprentice easily."  
"Well done Threepaw!" yowled someone from the crowd. Threepaw looked around, expecting maybe Icepaw, but it was Cinderpelt.

"Wait a second," Bramblestar said, "What happened to Icepaw? Was she slain?"

"She never appeared," Threepaw said.

"Yeah," Mousefoot chimed in, "We waited for a long while, but she didn't come. She must have forgotten. Where is she now?"

"Not here," Nightpaw said, "We thought she was on the shift with you."

"Well she wasn't," Mousefoot retorted.

"She hasn't been here all day," It was Foxpaw, appearing from the den. "I've been looking."

Ferncloud, Icepaw's mother, started to quiver with worry. "She's…gone?"

Bramblestar looked around, "I can't afford to have more cats go look for her."

An angry yowl arose from the crowd. "And why can't you? You're our leader, and you're supposed to care for any cat in need!" it was Dustpelt, Icepaw's father.

Bramblestar bristled. "You have no right to accuse me."

"I have every right," Snarled Dustpelt, "Icepaw is my daughter."

Bramblestar lashed his tail, "Alright, go look for her then! I'm sure the rain has washed away her scent." Sneering, the dark tabby warrior disappeared into his den.

XXX

Even with dawn, the rain did not stop. Dustpelt returned from his search without any news of the missing apprentice. The different shifts came and went, each returning bloodier then the last. Only when Nightpaw struggled into camp after fighting with two broken legs did Jayleaf talk to Bramblestar.

"We all are fighting too much!" The medicine cat yowled to Bramblestar, "All of us! We go out to fight after our wounds have not completely healed, and so we're just getting more and more battered! Now what are we going to do with Nightpaw? His legs may never heal, and then he won't even be able to stagger around, like Cinderpelt! He'd be unable to walk!"

Bramblestar squeezed his eyes shut. "Jayleaf, I don't know! I can't have WindClan take our territory!"

Jayleaf snorted and padded back to the medicine den.

Nightpaw lay on the nest all night, his broken legs wrapped in rushes. He cried out, Threepaw could here it from the apprentice's den.

Threepaw visited him in the morning. He lay unconscious in the nest, kicking out and yowling.

Days ticked by, and Nightpaw got no better. Finally Threepaw saw Cinderpelt drag his unmoving body from the medicine den, where she took him to the burial place.

Jayleaf padded from the den, herbs in his mouth. Sensing Threepaw he meowed, "Died of pain. Yep."

It only got worse. As Threepaw became more weakened from his various battles, Icepaw remained missing. A few days later, the fifth shift padded in, dragging a dead Whitewing with them.

There were only two shifts left that still had four cats. There were six shifts.

In a one week span, ThunderClan had lost four cats.


	18. Chapter 18

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Eighteen_

Bramblestar called a meeting. His yowl woke Threepaw from a thin, uneasy sleep where he dreamed he was running after Icepaw, but she was running from him, with Spiritpaw, and they looked back at him and one sneer, then run on.

He shuddered as he awoke. Cinderpelt looked over at him. "You okay?" she asked. He just nodded and ducked underneath the trailing ferns. The sun was setting, barely visible through the ugly haze of dark clouds. The rain had ceased for the time being, leaving a wild, cold wind.

Threepaw gathered with the apprentices at the edge of the clearing, and heads titled up to the leader standing atop the ledge.

Once everyone was settled and had quieted, he began to speak.

"I acknowledge that there has been a huge amount of deaths in the past weeks. I am truly sorry for not realizing how bad this was."

Murmurs echoed through the crowd, especially with the ones who had been close to those who had died. Would Bramblestar give in the battle? Would he think of a better solution?

"However," Bramblestar went on, "I am going to continue with the shifts and I'm not going to change that system."

The hope was replaced by sadness and oppression.

"I want Mousefoot's shift, which only consists of Threepaw and him to continue the way it is. I know Icepaw is gone, and she will be severely scolded when she returns, but I'm sure you two can manage on your own."  
Threepaw flattened his ears as he stared at his leader. Was that a sneer curling at his lips?  
"But, I have good news! Ferncloud has given birth to her fourth litter of kits!"

A cheer went around.

"Her kits are Sandkit, Lynxkit and Siftkit. Because we have a lot of apprentices, I am going to make a few of them warriors, to make sure that Ferncloud's kits have mentors."

Threepaw's head jerked up. Would he be included in this list?

"Foxpaw, step foreword." The auburn tom padded foreword.

"Icepaw would become a warrior tonight too if she were here. Unfortunately, she is not." Bramblestar said. "I also would like Featherpaw and Brushpaw to come up."

They stepped up and Bramblestar began.

"I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors, in their turn."

All three apprentices quivered.

"Brushpaw, Featherpaw and Foxpaw, do you promise to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

"I do," Foxpaw said in a low voice.

"I do," Featherpaw squeaked.

Brushpaw tried to act mature, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names. Foxpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Foxclaw. StarClan honors you for your courage and strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Bramblestar rested his chin on Foxclaw's bowed head. Then he turned to Brushpaw

"Brushpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Brushfur. StarClan honors you for your loyalty and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Bramblestar licked the new warrior and Featherpaw moved foreword.

"Featherpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Featherpelt. StarClan honors you for your loyalty and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

A chant started up. "Foxclaw! Brushfur! Featherpelt! Foxclaw! Brushfur! Featherpelt!"  
As the Clan broke up, Brushfur dashed to Featherpelt, "It looks like your kits are due in only a few days! At least you can really be called a 'queen' now!"

Threepaw shrugged. They were mates already. He didn't really feel like congratulating his brother though.

Wait.

His brother?  
His brother.

They were the same age.

Brushfur was a warrior.

Threepaw wasn't.

Threepaw froze, even his heart stopped. His mouth slightly open, he stared unseeingly at the camp.

Bramblestar had politely excused him from becoming a warrior. Forever.

Threepaw understood now. Becoming an apprentice didn't mean he was necessarily becoming a warrior. Bramblestar was never going to make him one, and there was nothing Threepaw could say or do about it!

He thought the Clan had kind of gotten over his tails. He was wrong.

The anger bubbled up to his throat. He let out a scream. "AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH!"

He raced for the tunnel and pulled himself foreword. He pelted across the open ground, dodging trees nimbly. There he stopped. It was where Icepaw had not killed him when he was a kit. This time there would be blood.

**The next little bunch of chapters will be in the POV of Icepaw or Spiritpaw! Whoever is still reading, please review!**


	19. Chapter 19

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Nineteen_

The sun was up, hidden by thick, pale grey clouds. Icepaw moved feebly through the water, dragging Spiritpaw with her. He was like a log.

She let out a whine, her fear nagging at the back of her head. She wanted Spiritpaw to wake up desperately, so she could have someone to talk to and so that she could plan with him.

Icepaw made sure to keep his nose above water, making it way more important then doing that to herself. She insisted that it was only because he wasn't awake and she was, not for other, more scary reasons.

Finally, Spiritpaw did arouse himself.

"Icepaw?" he croaked, coughing up water. He saw her and quickly paddled foreword.

"Spiritpaw!" she gasped and pressed herself to his freezing pelt. "I was beginning to think you were dead!"

He was looked around. "We're stuck." He said shortly.

They moved up with the slight tide. "Yep." Icepaw meowed.

They started to splash toward the island, which was probably the closest landmass. They neared it slowly.

Thunder crackled, and Spiritpaw looked up. "It's going to rain." He said. The sky seemed to hold its breath…and then it started pouring.

Icepaw flattened her ears as drops rained down on her.

She craned her neck to look back at ThunderClan territory. It was incredibly distant, but she could see the trees being whipped around by the wind.

The sky grew darker, even though it was midday.

"This sucks." Spiritpaw grumbled as the waves grew harder.

"Truly." Icepaw paddled harder, but the island remained just as far away.

Finally the trees grew into focus.

"We're getting there," the white apprentice panted.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light that seemed to hit the island, and a boom of thunder that scorched Icepaw's ears.

"Oh no," She snarled as smoke curled from the little patch of land.

They slowed their process toward the island, until Icepaw finally felt sand under her paws. Sighing with exhaustion, she pulled herself foreword and instantly fell down. She couldn't keep her eyes open.

XXX

Icepaw opened her eyes. A pale grey sky, shrouded in clouds was above her. She stretched her limbs and scrambled to her feet. Spiritpaw was awakening; he had been stretched out on the pebbly shore of the island.

"So we're at the island." He said, yawning. "Let's check it out."

"We should head back to our Clans." Icepaw said. She padded across the clearing and through the gorse, looking for the treebridge.

It was gone.

There was only a half of it, clinging to the edge of the island and sinking into the water. The other half was gone.

Lightening?  
Spiritpaw appeared beside her. "Hey," he said, "It was struck. We're still stuck here."

"Shouldn't we swim across? It's only about sixteen yards," Icepaw said.

"Sure." Spiritpaw slipped into the water, but instantly pulled himself out again, his fur on end. "BIG—GREEN—MOUTH HAD TEETH!" he spluttered, shaking drops of water form his bristling fur.

"What was it?" Icepaw pressed, hurrying after him.

"A crocodile," he wheezed, "I mean---three crocodiles. The water is pretty shallow here, and they've probably made a home there."

"You mean we're stuck on the island?"  
He nodded, "It snapped at me. You should have seen the teeth."

She shuddered. "Darn."

"Can you fish?" he asked her.

"Probably a little," she answered, "Why?"

"Just so we can hunt." Spiritpaw stretched, yawning. He padded around the clearing, "At least there are enough cats that come here regularly that most of the pine needles are gone." He padded on, stopping beside a little rocky outcrop hanging over the edge of the water. He scraped at it, rolling a boulder inside to reveal a little, triangular cave.

"This is awesome!" he yowled, "We can sleep in here!" His voice echoed harshly around the cave.

She jumped up beside him, staring into the dark, rocky place. The floor was musty, and some water trickled along the bottom. At the sight of the cats, some spiders skittered into the cracks.

"Yeah," Icepaw said, "It'll do." She swiped her paw at some thin tendrils of cobweb hanging from the roof. "If we get hurt, we can use these." Carefully she shook from her paw and eased them into a crack.

Spiritpaw turned and leapt from the cave. Icepaw hurried after him as he bounded across the ground and scrambled up the Great Oak. Sitting on the lower branch, he called out, "We gather here tonight under the full moon to discuss battle tactics!"

Icepaw laughed, looking up at him, "That isn't how they say it!"

Grinning hard, Spiritpaw rose to his feet, "I am Spiritstar, leader of BoneClan! We come asking for your territory!"

Icepaw leaped up beside him, "Asking for our territory?"

He lashed his tail, "_Demanding_ your territory! You have by tomorrow to leave the forest!"

Icepaw hid her grin, "ThunderClan will never leave the forest! I am Icestar, the leader of the strongest Clan ever! How dare you think you could drive _me_ from the forest?"

Spiritpaw's eyes twinkled, "I think it easily!" He mock-charged at her, trying to knock her from the branch. She moved aside and they sat down.

Icepaw swished her tail, staring at the ground. She was imagining it full of cats; staring up at her while she spoke.

"Someday, I hope to be up here when the clearing is actually full," She said to Spiritpaw, flexing her claws.

"I don't need to hope!" he cackled, "Because I know it will happen someday."

She looked sideways at him, "You're ambitious?"

He relaxed, "No. It was just fun to say."

"Tigerstar's blood does run in your veins," She mocked, nudging him.

He drew away. "Shut up!"

She laughed. "Come on."

Icepaw leaped down from the tree, landing on the ground. He stopped beside her.

"What's ShadowClan like?" she meowed.

"Well…It's just like any old Clan! Everyone's a little cocky, and nobody is extremely nice to each other, but that's the way we are so it doesn't bug us.

She turned to him. "ThunderClan is being attacked by WindClan right now. Or, they were fighting when I left. Threepaw was in my shift. I just hope nobody dies in this battle."

Spiritpaw moved his head to stare at her, "How is Threepaw?"

"He's okay…I guess. I mean, he's pretty happy, for a cat with three tails. He fights really well." Icepaw stammered.

"I hope he's alright." Spiritpaw meowed. "Anyway, I'm hungry. Let's go catch some fish."

Tail waving, he strode confidently to the edge of the water.

"Careful," Icepaw reminded him, "The crocodiles will be around."

"I'll be fine." He assured her. She sat beside him as he extended his paw, trying to shoot out a fish.

"Nice miss," She snickered as the silver thing flashed away.

He snapped his teeth affectionately at her, "Shush."

Together they tried, but missed again and again.

"They're so fast!" Spiritpaw complained after missing his seventeenth fish, "Not like the frogs."

"Ew." Icepaw made a face.

"They're really good…hey! YES!" A long, shining fish lay on the bank. He picked it up and dragged it away from the bank. "I got one!" he congratulated himself.

They tucked in. The flavor of it made Icepaw's stomach squirm, but it was good and filling.

As they lay washing, they heard a rumble.

"Here comes the rain again," Spiritpaw grumbled.

He was right. A second later icy drops started falling harshly through the trees, soaking Icepaw's thin white pelt. Spiritpaw stood up, shaking water off him. Together they sprinted for their cave and pulled themselves inside. They found rain was still getting in, so Spiritpaw partially closed the boulder.

They both lay down. As time ticked by, they scooted closer to each other, both aware the other was awake, but not trying to show it.

Finally, Icepaw felt his flank against hers. She leaned into him, pulling herself closer to his tabby pelt. She pressed her cheek to his. She heard him purr softly.

Icepaw fell asleep, dimly aware of the feeling of cold air rushing against her flank.

**Awww…they're so cute together! REVIEW! **


	20. Chapter 20

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Twenty_

Icepaw awoke alone. She gasped, looking around.

"Icepaw!" It was Spiritpaw, calling from outside of the cave, "I caught us another fish!"

She looked at the shining silver thing, and they sat down to dine together.

"We need to get out of here, and back to our Clans," Spiritpaw said. Icepaw looked at him then away. She wanted to get back to her Clan, and yet she didn't want to. What was it in her that yearned to stay on the island forever? She shivered. She did not want these thoughts. Not yet.

XXX

The weeks ticked by slowly and they remained trapped on the island. Spiritpaw was restless beside her one night as they tried to sleep, and finally she sat up and addressed him. "What's the matter?" she hissed.

Spiritpaw looked over at her, "I want to see if I can get across."

"With the alligators? No way."

"It won't be hard." He was already strolling across the clearing. Icepaw dashed after him. His silver fur and her white glowed in the moonlight. She growled as he approached the broken tree.

"They're awake," Icepaw said, pointing with her tail to some eyes resting just above the water.

Spiritpaw growled at the eyes. "I can be fast. Watch."

Icepaw felt him brace himself beside her. "NO!" she hissed.

He sprang, launching himself at the other side of the broken tree bridge. His forepaws were stretched out and claws unsheathed.

His torso latched onto the tree and he thrashed to keep on the wood, his haunches swinging dangerously below.

"It's…so…slick!" Icepaw heard him say. In a second, Spiritpaw slipped back in the water. He churned madly.

The eyes turned toward him, and were joined by three other pairs. Quickly they moved in his direction.

"SPIRITPAW!" Icepaw yowled. There was an explosion of water as huge jaws, brimming with teeth, came out of the water.

She dove in without a thought. She swam strongly toward the commotion, feeling scaly alligator bodies against hers.

"Spiritpaw!" She yowled.

"Icepaw!" His voice was full of fear.

She saw his silver head bobbing nearby, and she swam foreword. Suddenly he screamed. "MY TAIL!"

She sped up quickly, and saw huge jaws closing upon something long and silver. She raked her claws across the jaws. A rumbling roar followed.

"Spiritpaw?" Icepaw yowled again.

"I'm here!"

She saw him perfectly then, as his face, wild and terrified, turned toward hers.

Her teeth closed gently around his scruff. "I've got you now," She murmured to him. She pulled, but he did not budge.

He was flipped upside down and his wild eyes met hers, "It still has my tail," He panted, pulling against the alligator.

"Kick it," Icepaw commanded.

There was a splash and another groan. Icepaw managed to yank Spiritpaw about five feet before the alligator got his tail again.

She looked back, and saw the main land three feet away. "Come on…" she groaned, tugging at her friend.

"Icepaw," He panted, "I just wanted to--," His head went under, then he popped up again, "Say that--," Under again, "I l—,"

He never finished. Icepaw was suddenly able to pull him as the alligator shot into the air and twisted, giving out a moaning wail of pain. He was absolutely still when he hit the water again, but what had hit him Icepaw did not or never would know.

Icepaw tugged Spiritpaw the remaining inches toward shore. She hauled up onto the land then collapsed, her head on his chest.

With the tide washing gently over her and the crickets calling into the night, she fell asleep.

XXX

(AN: Now for a little StarClan stuff. You know, the usual cliché XD)

Spottedleaf sighed, standing beside Firestar. As she stared down at the white and silver apprentices, she let out a small moan.

"How will they be able to resist being together?" She whispered.

Firestar ran his paws gently over a stick with lines carved into it. "It is written that they must not be together."

"The writing can change," Spottedleaf muttered, pressing her pelt to his and resting her head on her loved one's shoulder, "Just like it did for us."


	21. Chapter 21

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Twenty One_

Icepaw stirred her head at the breeze filtering across her face. It was early evening, and she opened her eyes to a half-sun.

"Spiritpaw?" she whispered.

She heard a groan a little ways away. "My tail…"

She sat up slowly, dry sand crumbling from her fur.

She saw the silver tom a little ways away and padded over. "Are you all right?"  
He nodded, stretched out on the shore. Icepaw looked at his tail. The end half of it was shredded and torn. "It hurts." He muttered.

She nodded, and he struggled to his feet. "We need to get back."  
"I know," She muttered, shuffling her paws, chasing away the growing feeling that she wanted to stay with him.

They started to walk toward ThunderClan and ShadowClan territory, barely talking. When they reached the ThunderClan border, they halted and turned to face each other. They were panting, even though the walk had not made them out of breath at all.

"We must part now," Icepaw choked out.

Spiritpaw closed his eyes for a long time and she watched him.

"Let me go with you a little longer," He rasped. They turned and padded on in silence.

Icepaw ears flicked as she heard a slight sound, and expected a patrol or something. Squinting, she saw black fur though the shadows.

Her heart sped up. Something was wrong.

She burst into a clearing and saw Threepaw. She dashed ahead, leaving Spiritpaw lingering five feet behind.

"Threepaw--?" She meowed loudly.

"You…were…WRONG!" The three tailed tom seemed unable to hear her. "I thought you helped me but no you DIDN'T!"  
"Threepaw?" She yowled again.

In pure fury, the black tom threw himself at his tails and in a blind rage he started hacking at the bases of them.

"Threepaw!" She cried as red slashes appeared on the tails and blood spread in small rivers over the mossy ground.

"No! Stop!" She pinned his paws down. He struggled for a moment then was still. His breath came from him in wild gasps, then he fell to the ground and lay there on his side. His green eyes rolled and helooked up at her. "Icepaw…" He rasped. She looked into his tear stained face as his eyes closed. "You returned."

His voice barely audible, Threepaw muttered, "They were wrong."

He grew silent beneath the stars, lying in a puddle of his own blood---blood shed in a battle with only one.

**Whew---hard to right, that was. You know? Seeing the pictures in my head but not being able to put them into words well enough.**

**I'm happy- I came in third place for grand champion of my school science fair! My best friend got first place. It rocks. Plus this mean girl who's all self centered only got a tiny ribbon because she was the only one in her category, yet she kissed her ribbon. Oo. Whatever. REVIEW!**


	22. Chapter 22

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Twenty Two_

Icepaw stayed beside Threepaw's still form for a long time. She was unsure if he was dead or alive; all she knew was the shock that he had been so upset about his tails that he tried to kill himself.

"Icepaw…" The word was a whisper carried with the wind, and she glanced down at Threepaw. His eyes creaked open.

"I'm sorry Icepaw," He rasped, "I'm really, really sorry."

Icepaw moved her mouth but no sound came out. Finally she croaked, "So am I. For leaving."

He blinked calmly and swallowed. "Brushfur…Featherpelt…Foxclaw- all warriors."

Icepaw caught on. "And not you."

He shook his head slowly, staring foreword into the forest. "I have given up on Bramblestar."

"You're running away?" Icepaw exclaimed.

"No. I tried to cut off my tails." He swallowed hard and painfully again, she saw tears spark in his eyes, but he blinked and they vanished. "I hoped to…kill myself in the process."  
Threepaw took a huge breath to steady himself. "And it didn't even work."  
Icepaw couldn't say anything.

Threepaw continued.

"I don't care about being…a warrior anymore. I'll just take what I get and live with it." He fell into unhappy sobs, and Icepaw gulped nervously. She glanced around to find Spiritpaw gone. That was alright.

They stood up and padded toward camp. Icepaw stayed behind, her tail and head low.

They reached the hollow and padded in through the tunnel.

Icepaw almost let out a yell when she looked around the camp. All the warriors were caked in wounds and blood. They all were skinny and gaunt.

Icepaw's mind reeled with shock and fury at herself. _How could I have left them? _She snarled in her head.

"You have returned."

Icepaw spun around and froze in front of her mentor, Mousefoot. He looked emotionless and cold. Then, silently, he made his way toward Bramblestar's den.

Icepaw watched in silence as both emerged from the den and stood atop the Highrock. Cats gathered below and stared blankly up at their leader.

Bramblestar began.

"Icepaw, apprentice to Mousefoot, has returned to us. Why she left and where she went is unknown to us. She has left her Clan when they needed the most help, and I must know why she did this. Icepaw?"  
She looked up, shivering. In a loud voice, she meowed:

"I was hunting near ShadowClan border and was swept away by the stream. Though I tried to get back to shore, I couldn't, and was plunged into the lake. From there I had to stay on the island, but the tree bridge broke and I found out that the island was surrounded by alligators. It took me many tries to be able to get back to shore."

There was silence, but only for a second. Brushfur called out loudly and sarcastically, "Oh right. Alligators. I really believe it."

Icepaw whipped her head to face him and snarled, "How dare you doubt me?"

Bramblestar interrupted. "Icepaw, we have lost many cats while you have been away."

Icepaw dipped her head. "I'm sorry."  
She felt Threepaw's energy pulse from him, and it spoke to her clear as words. _He doesn't believe my story…_She thought. _But I will have to tell him the truth someday._

Bramblestar was not finished. "In punishment, you're warrior ceremony, which would have happened earlier today, will be postponed a month."

Icepaw's ears burned in rage but she kept her head down.

"That makes two of us," Threepaw muttered.

She flicked her ears.

The cats broke up as a yowling started from the tunnel entrance and Icepaw whirled around.

**CLIFFIE! Next chapter will be back in Threepaw's POV. REVIEW!**


	23. Chapter 23

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Twenty Three_

Threepaw jerked his head up as a shift pounded into the clearing. A dead black she-cat swung from their jaws: Hollybranch.

"No…" Threepaw whispered as he saw his fallen mother. Hollybranch had been fairly kind to him. Now she was dead.

The Clan grieved all night, Threepaw joining them. He looked for his father, Mousefoot, in the crowd but did not find him there. Instead he was off by the fresh-kill pile, laughing with some friends.

_I think he gets insecure when cats die, _Threepaw thought, remembering Chalkpaw.

The weeks moved by in an unhappy haze. Cats shed tears over the new deaths of Cloudtail and Spiderleg.

Then one night Icepaw came to Threepaw.

"I need to stay the next few nights out of camp—with only you," She mewed in a voice thick with pain.

In confusion, he left the hollow with her. She lingered at the edge of the territory.

The next four days with her were fine. But finally, on the last day, Threepaw addressed her. She had been acting strange and unhappy.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

She closed her eyes, then turned to face him. Slowly she opened them. "I wasn't alone," She whispered.

"What?"  
"Spiritpaw…came…with…me…" She rasped.

"But--,"  
Icepaw closed her eyes again and took a deep breath. "I have decided on something."  
"What?" Threepaw whispered, his voice shaking.

She did not answer. She just started walking, and he kept pace with her, even though she went slowly.

They headed along the shore of the lake.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" Threepaw asked her quietly.

She stared softly ahead. "Yes." She mewed finally.

Threepaw felt his breath shake as he breathed in. "Why?"  
"I do not belong here."  
"But--,"  
She gently placed her tail tip on his mouth. He realized then that they were near the ShadowClan border.

She stopped and faced him. "He means more to me then my Clan."

Then Threepaw understood. Icepaw loved Spiritpaw, and she wanted to be with him. He took a breath to speak, but in a slow sigh, it left him, along with his energy.

He could only manage two words. "I know."

The air between them was thick with sorrow.

"You're just…my only friend." Threepaw muttered.

Now it was Icepaw's turn to say it. "I know." She whispered.

She stood up and started to pad slowly over the border and into ShadowClan territory. Threepaw watched her go.

Icepaw looked over her shoulder. "Threepaw?"

"Yeah?" He muttered, looking up.

"Goodbye."

Their eyes lingered together for a moment, then she turned her head and the white she-cat disappeared into the shadows.

Threepaw stared at where she had gone for a long time. Then slowly he turned around and padded back into his own territory.

He had lost her. His only friend. She was gone. Her love for Spiritpaw had taken her away.

From him.

Threepaw jerked up when he heard a shout. "Hello?" he called through the evening forest.

Sticks crackled and got louder as the creature approached. Threepaw whirled around, and as a hard thing barreled into his flank, he threw his claws into its pelt.

It broke away. It was panting. Blood blossomed over its cream and white fur.

"Mousefoot?" Threepaw called, looking at his gasping father. A maniacal grin was plastered on the tom's face.

Foreboding crept over Threepaw's fur. "You've done something wrong, haven't you?" He called as if his father was far away. "Mousefoot? What is it? You did something wrong! You did! I know it!"

Mousefoot did not answer. He only licked his foaming chops and raced away.

His heart pounding, Threepaw began to follow him. He got only two steps before two brawny toms rammed into his and pressed him-belly down- into the dirt.

"Think fast, mutant," One sneered above him, "We aren't here to waste time."

**Deet-da-deet! CLIFFIE! REVIEW!**


	24. Chapter 24

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Twenty Four_

"Get off me!" Threepaw snarled. His muscles were tight as he tried to shake the cats off him. The seemed unmovable. "Silence," They hissed as they started dragging the three-tailed apprentice off. The black tom felt a rush of worry. What had happened to the Clan in the four days he had been gone with Icepaw? Why did something seem so just…wrong?

Threepaw's draggers stopped. He struggled to his feet and looked at them. They were unrecognizable, but smelled of RiverClan.

He stared around. A bunch of cats were sitting around the edges of the hollow—ThunderClan cats. Threepaw recognized Honeytail, Brookfur, Lionheart, and many others. But why were they guarding the camp? It was never guarded. The cliff walls provided all the protection they needed.

He was pushed into camp, and he tumbled through the tunnel. As soon as he got to his feet, he gasped.

The camp was a mess. The dens had been torn down, and Threepaw could see, that in the corner of camp, a large, woven cage stood above many cats, and the stench of starvation and fear rose from them. Threepaw looked down and gasped. In the center of camp lay nine bodies, all cats. He could see that five of them were WindClan, but the remaining four were Jayleaf, Sorreltail, Squirrelflight, and Sunpaw. Threepaw gasped when he saw Highledge. A long, tightly woven curtain of moss hung from it and fell over the tumble of rocks beneath it. The cloth was staining with seven large spots of red blood. Bones littered the ground everywhere.

"What--," Threepaw croaked. He was cuffed hard by one of the RiverClanners.

"Threepaw!" It was one of the cats in the cage. Threepaw looked over just as the RiverClan cats started to push him toward the mesh-like thing. A hatch was opened on the top and Threepaw was thrown through. He heard the hatch seal behind him.

Threepaw staggered to his feet and looked around. There were some ThunderClan cats in here—and all were gaunt, bony, almost lifeless.

There were only eight of them.

Foxclaw, Poppytail, Featherpelt, Brushfur, Berrytalon, Ferncloud, Thornclaw and Bramblestar.

"Where is everyone?" Threepaw rasped.

Bramblestar answered, squeezing his eyes shut in pain. "Dead," He gasped, "Or guarding the camp." He shook his head. "We've lost everyone."

"And everything," Poppytail put in.

"Tell me…" Threepaw mewed.

Bramblestar struggled to speak. "All was fine…Like it was before you left. Then, like two hours after you and Icepaw disappeared, Mousefoot attacked. He drove us into the cage and leaped onto Highledge. He said that he was in charge now, and that it was time for ThunderClan to be raw strength—raw power. The elders were rounded up and slaughtered. Jayleaf tried to defy- he was killed. Sunpaw was caught escaping from camp. They murdered her. We saw it happen."

Bramblestar shuttered. Threepaw looked over at Ferncloud. Her three kits were tiny and starving.

But Bramblestar wasn't done. "Mousefoot said that I wasn't the leader anymore. He brought in RiverClan cats- one of them was Minnowriver, who we have always known he has feelings for."

"But he loved Hollybranch!" Threepaw interjected in shock.

Bramblestar spat as his words. "He said that he was the one who killed Hollybranch—to get her out of the way so he was free with Minnowriver. Well anyway, they're together now. You see the cloth by Highledge? Those blood spots are the blood of the dead cats in the middle of camp."

Threepaw gasped. "No!"

"Yes. Mousefoot said we had to deal with WindClan, so he led them right to our camp. Those big RiverClan warriors you saw earlier slaughtered them all as they entered."

Threepaw quivered with shock and anger. "Is that all?" He asked, praying it was.

Bramblestar glanced around nervously. The other cats began to murmur.

"Go on. Tell him." A few said.

Bramblestar took a deep breath. "No, that isn't all. Mousefoot…he-he…drinks…cat's blood."

XXX

Icepaw curled up in her new den. As she stared into the shadows, she wondered, _how did they accept me so easily?_

She gave a purr, and looked up. Spiritpaw was padding in, holding a mouse. He lay beside her. "Want to share?" He muttered.

"Sure." Together, the two ShadowClan cats tucked in. Then, purring they settled down.

They leaned into each other's flanks and closed their eyes. Icepaw twisted their tails together, then she pressed her face to his.

XXX

She awoke again that night. Spiritpaw was standing beside her.

"Spiritpaw?" She meowed. She stood up.

"I smell a frog," He said excitedly, "I should show you how to catch it."  
"Good idea!" Icepaw sprang to her paws and they strolled out of camp. Some warriors stared at them but did not stop their progress from the clearing.

Spiritpaw slowed near a little clearing. "It's near here." He said. Icepaw looked at him, sensing nervousness in his pelt.

"What's the matter?" She asked.

"HUH?" he sounded startled, and jumped. "NOTHING! I mean yeah! Totally nothing! You see now, the frog probably is hiding."  
"You're babbling," Icepaw observed, "Slow down."

"What? Oh sorry! SORRY!"

"Come on. Let's go over here." Icepaw said. They started to walk away, deeper into the territory.

"Well yeah!" Spiritpaw said.

"Do you want to tell me that you're leaving me?" Icepaw asked him.

"NO! No! No! NO! I would never leave you! I would stay with you till I die because I LOVE YOUuuuurrrr wisdom! Yeah! You keep me from doing stupid things and it is great!"  
Icepaw felt rather confused. "Just say it."

"Um…well…It's just that…UGH! WHY CAN'T I GET THIS OUT?"

"I don't know," Icepaw said calmly.

He sat down and shuffled at the ground nervously.

"I…wanted…to…say…that…I…think…this….has…gone…on…for…long…enough…and…that…I need to get this out." Squeezing his eyes shut, he said. "I love you."  
Icepaw blinked in shock. "Uuuhhh?" She said.

Spiritpaw opened his eyes and put on a huge, artificial, cover-up kind of grin. "Yeah, I mean I totally get it all…you know, things are smooth…just tryin' to agree with ya'. But, I'll be going."

He started to zoom out of sight.

"WAIT!" Icepaw raced after him. He turned around, red in the face, and she grinned. "Me too."

He smiled hard, then gave her a rather large lick on the ear.

Then, together, they raced back to camp.

**Lol! They're together! Now I only wish I could tell my crush the same thing. He's 11, like me ha! REVIEW XD**


	25. Chapter 25

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Twenty Five_

"Mousefoot…drinks the cat's blood?!" Threepaw exclaimed.

Bramblestar nodded, shuddering. "It has happened to Squirrelflight and Sorreltail."

Threepaw looked around. "Does he use us to drink from?"  
"Yes. Us, the ones in the cage."

Abruptly, as he spoke, the hatch on top opened and a brawny RiverClanner jumped in. Everyone watched in trembling terror as he patrolled around, knocking cats over and barging through little groups.

"There." The warrior leaped foreword and grabbed Thornclaw, plastering all his front claws and teeth into the tom's pelt. Thornclaw let out a scream of rage and fear as the tom dragged him out of the cage.

"NO!" Threepaw jumped up to help the deputy. "We have to help him!"

Instantly, Bramblestar and Poppytail were at his side, clinging to Thornclaw in desperate attempts to hold him down.

The RiverClanner braced his hind legs against the cage walls, but he clung to Thornclaw as if the golden tom was precious.

"DON'T LET HIM GO!" Yowled Bramblestar. As he spoke, Berrytalon and Foxclaw sprung up and latched onto Thornclaw.

"WE CAN DO THIS!" Threepaw yelled. His muscles ached from the pulling, and in desperation, he wrapped his tails around Thornclaw's limbs and used those muscles to yank him.

Slowly, Thornclaw came down. But just as the ThunderClan cats thought they had him, another RiverClan warrior, the same size as the other, helped heave Thornclaw up.

Threepaw's grasp slipped off. Slowly, the other cats fell from him, yowling in agony.

Only Bramblestar was left, and he was lifted into the air. Only when he was bit on the ear did he release the tom and fall to the ground, wailing.

Then, in a mad, sobbing, shrieking fury, the weak ThunderClan cats surged foreword, throwing themselves in desperation against the bars. Threepaw joined in loudly, screeching out his anger at the enemies. All his Clanmates were yelling. "NO!" and "DON'T YOU DARE!" "STOP!"

And Thornclaw was vicious. He wrestled the warriors like a StarClan cat, throwing teeth and claws onto them until flesh was ripped from their limbs. But his strength was less then theirs, and though he screamed and cried and fought, they dragged him to Mousefoot, who was hidden in Bramblestar's old den. His mad, angry screeches grew too screams of terror, and then, with a wrenching yowl of cracking agony, he was silent.

The ThunderClan cats fell quiet. A few little wails were heard, until Poppytail sunk to the ground in tears.

Threepaw slowly came back to his body, and felt himself shaking, plastered against the bars. Slowly he backed down, followed by the others.

"We tried to stop it." He said hoarsely, offering some support.

"We did." Muttered Bramblestar.

They all looked up as a RiverClan warrior flung Thornclaw into camp. A splash of blood came from the dead tom, and it made a round red stain on the moss-cloth hanging from Highledge.

Thornclaw hit the ground and skidded in the sand until he bumped Jayleaf's limp body.

A few cats whimpered, and some whines followed that.

Threepaw sat down and lowered his head with everyone else as Bramblestar raised his voice in a quiet prayer to StarClan.

"Please help us helpless warriors as we struggle through our last moments of life in a cage. Let the cats who have died be happy in your ranks forever. And I say these words before the body of Thornclaw, so that he may hear and approve my choice. I make Poppytail the new deputy of ThunderClan."

The cats all murmured something. Threepaw broke away from the crowd.

"Bramblestar? I need to go make dirt. Do they have to escort me?" The black tom asked.

"Yes they do. Call them over."

A moment later a brawny tom yanked Threepaw from the cage and guided him through the ditplace tunnel.

When they reached it, Threepaw, who really didn't actually have to make dirt turned to face his guard. "Well, aren't you going to leave?"  
"OF course not," The tom grunted.

"That's very rude."  
The cat shuffled his paws. "I am under strict commands."

"That makes sense." Threepaw's tails slowly snaked toward his neck. "But I'm sure you can just let me have a few minutes alone…"

The cat snarled and fastened his teeth into Threepaw's foreleg. The black tom had to keep back a yell of pain. The tom let go and faced his again, blood on his jaws.  
"I'm afraid I can't beca—AHHH!!" Choking, the RiverClan tom fell to the ground, his neck broken and bleeding

Threepaw uncurled his tails from the dead tom's throat and raced away. He was free. Where should he go?  
He zoomed around and headed toward the cats guarding the camp. "Hey guys?"  
They looked at him in fear.

"Come with me," He said.

They shook their heads. "We can't walk," Lionheart said. He stood up show that his front limbs had been laced together, and that a long vine was tied from his neck to a tree, "We're stuck."

"Here." Threepaw started chewing at the vines binding their legs. "Now follow," he said when they were free. Steadily, he headed toward WindClan territory and stopped at the border. "Go down to the lake. Get out of our territory, and WindClan's. Hang around by horseplace. You'll be safe." He met Brookpaw's wide, scared eyes and added, "I promise."

He smiled into the frightened faces of his Clanmates, and then they all paced away.

Threepaw knew what he had to do. He pushed his way into camp and then stood beneath the Highledge.

"MOUSEFOOT!" he yowled up, making his voice calm and loud.

There was nothing for a moment, and then his father's head, followed by a pretty she-cat's, appeared around the rock.

Mousefoot looked disgusted. "What, mutant? Why aren't you guarded?"  
"Guard me and you get dead guards," Threepaw challenged calmly. Mousefoot spit. "It's those tails, right? We should braid them." He gave a cruel cackle.

"Why are you doing this, Mousefoot?" Threepaw called to him.

He cream and white tom moved onto Highledge and glared down at him.

"Why are you questioning me, mutant?"

"Because you're my father," Threepaw meowed loudly.

A gasp sounded from many cats—only a few actually knew the truth of Threepaw's parentage.

"We thought you had been found lost in the forest as a kit!" Ferncloud cried.

Threepaw twitched his tails. "Of course not. Mousefoot just couldn't take the disgrace of having a mutant son."  
Mousefoot drew his lips from his teeth. "How dare you embarrass me so? You should be killed right now! And don't worry—it will be by my teeth!"  
He started back into the den.

"Fine then," Threepaw said, but it only came out as a whisper.

Mousefoot looked back at him, "Mark my words, _son_! By _my_ teeth!"


	26. Chapter 26

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Twenty Six_

Threepaw bolted from camp as fast as he could. His paws scrabbled on the earth floor and his breath came out in ragged pants, freezing on the cold leaf-fall air. He was desperate to get away from Mousefoot and the terror and depression the cream and white tom had sparked upon the Clan. Though he didn't know where to go, he was determined to keep his freedom with him.

He skidded to a stop, exhausted. He was starving. All the food had disappeared with the coming cold and the smell of blood-hungry cats. Rasping, he pulled himself onward, sniffing for any prey scent. He was being engulfed in desperation, the bite on his leg was making his fur red, and it was getting stiff and raw. Pulling himself foreword, he saw a tiny stream and collapsed by it.

"Icepaw…" He whispered as he faded out.

XXX

Threepaw lived through the next week in a daze of hunger and pain. His leg was barely healing and there was no prey.

Finally, after getting strength from a few dry leaves for dinner, he hauled himself to his feet. The sun was setting, and he started limping toward the camp. He was on alert for anybody who might threaten him, but he was also disgusted at the stench of blood, death and rotting things that filled the air everywhere.

He saw the stone slabs come into view, and he curled his tails up nervously. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Threepaw checked the position of the moon—it had just risen. Good. There still would be shadows.

He padded to the edge of camp where the stone cliffs were highest, and pushed gingerly through the brambles. He scouted out instantly, finding the darkest rocks that would hide his fur the best. Then he jumped down and pulled himself into the shadows.

He gasped when he heard a voice, and looked down to see Mousefoot on Highledge. Beside him stood a beautiful silvery she-cat, who was obviously Minnowriver.

"Tonight is a good night," Mousefoot was saying, "Threepaw, that stupid mite who escaped us, has been reported dead. Blackclaw," He pointed to the remaining brawny RiverClan tom, "Has gone out and quietly slaughtered the mutant while he slept. Now we are free to make ThunderClan how we want it. Blackclaw! Bring out the prisoners!"  
Blackclaw leaped onto the cage and opened the hatch. He started pulling cats out, until nobody was left inside, then he guarded them as they sat shaking beneath Highledge.

"Which of you," Mousefoot called, "Would like to become a warrior of our new ThunderClan and stay loyal? Remember, if you take this as a chance to escape, we will catch and kill you! Now think fast! Want to starve in the cage or become a warrior?"

Threepaw's heart pounded as he looked down at his helpless Clanmates. No one was volunteering yet, not even Brushfur.

_Don't do it, guys!_ Threepaw thought furiously.

Mousefoot waited a moment longer, then yowled, "Nobody? Alright then! Enjoy starving! Or not. We'll kill you all when the moon is at its highest!"  
The cats let out fearful wails as Blackclaw thrust them back into their cage.

Threepaw felt a flutter of panic in his chest as he looked at the moon. When it was at its highest? He didn't have much time!

He started slinking down the rocks like a night panther. Sticking to the shadows, he scuttled across camp until he reached the cage. There he stopped.

"Guys?" He whispered, "Are you there?"

"Threepaw?" came a few scared rasps, "We thought you were dead!"  
"SHH!! No, I'm not. Mousefoot was lying. I'm going to get you out. The hatch opens from the outside."

The cats fell silent as he scrambled to the top of the cage.

"While you were gone, Linxkit starved," Ferncloud whispered, her voice wavering with grief.

"We gave him a private burial," Bramblestar put in.

Threepaw gulped. Was it that bad already?

He started fumbling with the hatch. He looked at it carefully; it was a tangled mass of vines that kept it locked.

"It's really confusing." He reported. "But I'll use my tails."

He sent them foreword and they curled around the vines tightly. He started unraveling it slowly.

Suddenly he heard a voice.

"Blackclaw? Is that you?"

It was Mousefoot.

Threepaw began to panic, "Yes," He called out, making his voice low and strong, "I'm letting out one of these midgets so they can go make stupid dirt."  
Mousefoot fell for it. "Alright."

Threepaw worked faster, until the vine popped off. He slid the hatch aside and jumped into the cage.

The cats ran toward him, purring desperately.

"You are the only one who can help us now," Bramblestar whispered.

Threepaw looked at him slowly. "Yes," He meowed, "I know."

"Featherpelt?" A desperate mew sounded from the other side of the cage and Threepaw dashed over. Featherpelt lay stretched out on her side, her belly swollen with kits. She was breathing unsteadily and fast.

Brushfur knelt beside his mate. "There's something wrong! She's kitting, but, her breathing is wrong!"

Threepaw pressed his paws onto his brother's mate's belly. "I don't know what the matter is."

"Oh look! A little kit!" Brushfur yowled, and quickly silenced himself. Threepaw bent to look and saw a pale silver and white tabby she-cat who wailed sadly.

"And another," Brushfur whispered in awe as a ginger tom slid out. "You're doing fine, Featherpelt."  
The last kit was born, pale cream orange with white paws. It opened its mouth slowly, and when Brushfur nudged it, it went still.

"Oh no…" He said, "One was born dead, Featherpelt…Featherpelt. Featherpelt? FEATHERPELT!"  
Her breath was slowing. "Quick!" Threepaw yowled, "Make her breathe!"  
"No…" Featherpelt whispered, "StarClan wants me to go…my time has come."

"It's too early!" Brushfur yowled in panic.

"No. Tell Threepaw…I'm sorry…and make the kits…sur...vive…."

She grew silent and Brushfur whimpered. After a long moment he turned to Threepaw. "I'm sorry," He whispered, "And so is she. We should have been nicer to you. I now see what you are capable of. I will support you until the end." He flattened his ears.

"It's alright." Threepaw said. He picked up the remaining kits and gave them to Ferncloud. "I know you are starving, but you are the only one who can just possibly make these kits survive."

"I understand." Tears were in Ferncloud's eyes.

Then, there was a yowl, followed by a screech.

Threepaw looked up. The moon was at its highest.

"Run." He rasped. "MOVE!"  
Some RiverClan cats snarled as they leaped into the cage, there claws large and unsheathed.

"Your death has come," Blackclaw hissed, "Have fun."  
"Never!" Threepaw leaped foreword and tore upon Blackclaw's pelt.

"Threepaw? You're dead!"  
"No!" Threepaw screamed as he kicked Blackclaw hard. The tom came to his senses and attacked the many tailed tom, raking his claws through Threepaw's pelt. Threepaw whirled around, barging over Blackclaw until he had gotten away.

Everyone else was fighting hard, and failing. Threepaw scrambled for the hatch, and reached it.

"GRAB MY TAILS!" He screamed to his Clanmates. Instantly he felt Berrytalon and Brushfur bite on. Threepaw looked down to see a RiverClan cat grab the third tail.

"NO!" Threepaw screamed. He heaved upward with his two other tails and shook Berrytalon and Brushfur off.

"Go to RiverClan," He ordered them. They nodded and pelted off.

Threepaw dropped down and attacked the cat that had his tail. His claws tore across her ear. She launched at him, snapping her teeth on his leg. He whirled around as his blood stained the sandy ground and latched onto her ear. She shook and he fell off. They sprung at each other and started rolling around; Threepaw felt his flank get a scratch on it and felt teeth sink into his shoulder. Then he pulled away and sunk his claws into her back. She screamed and dashed off.

There was a yowl and Threepaw turned around. It was Bramblestar. Threepaw dashed to his leader and halted.

"Bramblestar?" He panted.

The dark tabby was still as he lost a life. He awoke and then was still again. This happened several more times finally Bramblestar opened his eyes and remained like that.

"Threepaw," He gasped out, "You are a great warrior. You will save us all."

He struggled to remain conscious.

"Do not worry, Bramblestar," Threepaw said calmly, "You will be happier in StarClan. And do not worry about your Clan."

Bramblestar shook with effort as he looked up at the many tailed tom.

Threepaw smiled slightly, "I will protect them."

Bramblestar rasped as his last breath left his lungs and he was still.

Threepaw stared into the dead cat's eyes and added, "I promise you."

**Even though he was rather annoying in this fanfic, I was sort of sad he died. Anyway, REVIEW!**


	27. Chapter 27

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Twenty Seven_

Threepaw dashed around to see that his Clanmates were making their way from the cage. He scooped up Bramblestar and leaped up to the hatch. As he left the cage, Foxclaw followed him.

Threepaw whirled around as the RiverClan cats tried to follow them out.

"No!" He yowled and pressed the hatch closed. Moving like lightening, he started winding the vine around all the bars in view until he had trapped them inside.

A furious caterwaul sounded from inside.

"LET US OUT!" Bellowed Blackclaw.

"Never!" Threepaw snarled, "Not after what you have done to my Clanmates! Now _you_ can starve in there!"

"We'll tell Mousefoot, and he'll kill you all!" Blackclaw yelled.

"We'll be out of the territory by the time that happens!" Threepaw screeched. He leaped off the cage, ignoring the angry bellows from inside it.

He raced to the edge of camp and turned to the Clan. "We're going to get out of here, right now, as fast as we can. You're going to go to RiverClan, it's the only place safe. You know, Horseplace. I cannot accompany you, though. I have to kill Mousefoot."

"No you don't! And you won't!" Poppytail hissed, and Threepaw thought dimly that with Bramblestar's death, she was the new leader.

"I have to. I need to." He said.

"But--,"  
"Don't worry. Here, take Bramblestar with you and give him a burial. Tell him I'm sorry that I can't be there. He'll understand."  
Poppytail gently picked up Bramblestar's body. "Alright…" She muttered.

"And get your nine lives as soon as possible," Threepaw muttered, "You may need your strength. Now hurry away!"

Poppytail flicked her tail and her Clan followed her as she padded away.

"And if any of you want to help me kill Mousefoot," Threepaw yowled after them, "Come find me at the ShadowClan border!"

Ears flicked. Threepaw watched them disappear with an ache in his heart. He wanted to go with them, but he knew he couldn't.

The apprentice dashed off, racing toward the ShadowClan border. It was the only place he could still be.

He headed down toward the Twoleg bridge and curled up beneath it. He thought of Icepaw, in her new Clan.

_I hope you're happy…_he thought to her as he faded into sleep.


	28. Chapter 28

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Twenty Eight_

Threepaw awoke early that morning to a loud sparrow song. He stretched, remembering briefly where he was. Even though he had slept, he was exhausted, and wasn't looking forward to all the event that would happen this day, if things went right.

He scented the air. From the ThunderClan side, the stench of death rose like a dark cloud, making him choke. He relished the cleaner, fresher smell of ShadowClan. For the first time they didn't seem to smell like a fox that had been dead for a moon.

Threepaw leapt onto the bridge and trotted across it. He sniffed the wood gently, and felt a prickle of shock in his pelt when he smelled Icepaw, and Spiritpaw too.

_I was right…she was meeting him, _he thought. At least she didn't have to creep around in the shadows anymore to be with him.

He stepped delicately over the ShadowClan border. He probably wouldn't be caught if he just hunted a mouse or two. He slunk around, scenting the air for anything.

Suddenly, he heard voices and sat up, flattening his ears so as not be seen.

A white shape was dashing toward him. Threepaw froze, his heart pounding.

With a yowl, the white cat pounced on something. He watched as it raised its head. A frog dangled from its jaws.

Threepaw quietly pulled himself back into hiding, but the cat had seen him.

"HEY!" It dashed foreword. Threepaw gasped. Icepaw.

He turned; would she welcome him? "I'm sorry…I'll leave." He stuttered, backing up.

"NO! I didn't know it was you! Stay."

Threepaw stopped and sat down. Icepaw was grinning, and her eyes glowed with a happiness he had not seen before.

She sat down too and sniffed him. "I haven't seen you in a whole week and a half," She said.

"I was just…well…how are you?"

"Me? I'm fine." She said, then giggled. "We're supposed to be enemies."

Threepaw twitched his tails. "Yeah, but, we're friends. How's ShadowClan?"

Her eyes shone. "It's perfect. I love it. There's something about it that ThunderClan could never give me. I have everything I want here." She looked about the forest fondly.

"Like Spiritpaw," Threepaw said without trying to.

Her ears twitched and her smile went down a teensy bit. "Yeah."  
"You're mates now?" Threepaw gave a shot at it.

"Well…NO! I mean no! No, of course not yet. We decided to be mates and have kits and…you know, when we're senior warriors."

_Yes, they're in love_, Threepaw thought. "You seem love it there."

"I do." Icepaw seemed to relax, "My Clanmates like, love me, and don't mistrust me. My new mentor is Tawnypelt. She's so awesome."

Threepaw nodded.

"How's ThunderClan?" She asked, "Everyone ok? Prey running smoothly?" Her whiskers twitched in laughter as she added, "Bramblestar still stuck up?"  
For some reason, Threepaw couldn't move his mouth. Why couldn't he answer her? She was his friend, he could tell her of ThunderClan's troubles. What was the matter with him?  
"How's ThunderClan?" Icepaw repeated quizzically.

A hot rush of anger engulfed him. _Yeah,_ he thought, _and you left right when we needed you the most. You only thought of your own little needs when your whole Clan needed you, then you toddled off to be with your love and-…_

His thoughts trailed away and Icepaw came into focus again.

Failing to keep the coldness from his voice, Threepaw said, "We're fine."

Icepaw wasn't smiling anymore. She looked a little worried. "I hope you become a warrior soon." She meowed blankly.

"You too." He said. "I better go."  
She turned and walked off. He watched her before turning his own way.

Only a second later, a chorus of yowls started behind him. Threepaw whipped his head around and saw a ShadowClan patrol charging at him, snarling.

"GET OUT OF OUR TERRITORY!"

Threepaw snarled as he started running back to the bridge. But a cat leaped at him and pinned him. The patrol gathered round.

"What are you doing here?" Snarled Smokefoot.

"I--,"  
"You were hunting. This is out of line. We should speak to your leader. We've been dying to attack the ThunderClan weaklings.

Ivytail jabbed her paw into his ribs. "What's the matter with you, anyway? Are you starving? Why don't you eat better?"

A few cats giggled.

"Come on. We're speaking to your leader." Smokefoot growled at Threepaw. "Come with us."

"No!" Threepaw cried, "Don't! Please don't speak to my leader!"

A few cats raised their eyebrows.

"Is ThunderClan having problems?" One sneered, leaning foreword, "Are you having trouble?"

"No!" Threepaw began to pant. "No. ThunderClan? ThunderClan is being…taken over…by some traitors inside it…Everyone's gone…except the bad ones…and so many…are dead…I need your help…to save…my…Clan. Please."

"Oh right!" The laugh sounded up. "ThunderClan never has problems, according to them!" Smokefoot sneered "Why don't you go talk to a river, mutant cat? Now get out!"

Laughing cruelly, they charged at him. Threepaw dashed foreword, desperation and panic swarming over him. He called over his shoulder, "This time ShadowClan aren't the evil ones! This time y-you have someone to compete with! Maybe you should f-fight them t-to get your c-cool status back!"

"NICE LIES!" Yelled Ivytail. Threepaw scrambled into ThunderClan territory as they stopped chasing him. He swore. Now he was in the danger-zone.

He slowly crept back to the Twoleg bridge. He lay down and sighed. He needed help if he was to attack Mousefoot. Where was he going to get it?  
XXX  
Icepaw was troubled as she headed back to camp. What was the matter with Threepaw? He had looked so skinny—was something wrong with ThunderClan? Why did she get the feeling he was hiding something from her?

She sighed as she padded in through the bramble entrance. She spotted Spiritpaw and raced over.

"Hello. I just saw Threepaw. He was…he was…wait…WHAT?" Suddenly, Icepaw felt her fur go up. "He was hunting on our territory! Yes, something is wrong with him! Not with him, with ThunderClan! They always have all kinds of prey, why would they turn to us? Oh Spiritpaw, we have to help him!"  
"Icepaw!" He yowled, "Calm down. Now, tell me what happened.

Icepaw raced through the story as fast as she could. "We really need to help them. Something could be seriously wrong."

"How do we know it will affect us? Maybe we shouldn't do this until we know what it will do to ShadowClan."

"What?" Icepaw began to bristle, and pulled away from him. "This isn't about ShadowClan, this is about Threepaw! He's my friend!"

"I'm sorry," Spiritpaw winced, "I just…didn't think."

"It's ok." Icepaw relaxed and snuggled up to him. "Sorry. I shouldn't have blown up."

He purred.

"Tonight, I'm gunna see if I can contact him, and I'm going to find out what's wrong."


	29. Chapter 29

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Twenty Nine_

Threepw lay curled beneath the twoleg bridge, his tails over his black. He wasn't asleep, instead he was thinking about Icepaw and Mousefoot.

He raised his head at a loud, hyper cry. He saw a cloudy shape crashing toward him, splashing through the water and spraying droplets everywhere. Threepaw sat up, rigid, his teeth bared. "Who are you?" He snarled.

"It's Icepaw!" Panted the white she-cat. "Well, Icepaw, and Spiritpaw too. We've come to help."

Threepaw blinked at her crossly. "Why would you need to help me when there is nothing wrong?"

Icepaw growled and swished her tail. "Of course there is something wrong. Why else would you be sleeping under the Twoleg bridge?"

Threepaw glanced around. "Alright." He said, then told her all about Mousefoot and what he had done, and where the Clan was.

"I'll help," Icepaw said, "I have to! What Mousefoot is doing isn't right!"

"Me too," Spiritpaw came to her side and sat down. "Even if I never was part of ThunderClan, I know it is your Clan, and Icepaw's former one. It deserves as much respect as any Clan."

Threepaw stood up and twisted his tails together. "Guys, its not a big deal. I can handle it. Just...go home and stay safe."

Icepaw snarled and leaped foreword, throwing him to the ground. "No WAY!" She snarled dangerously, "It's a huge deal, and you can't handle it, and we ARE going to help you!"

Threepaw struggled and spat. "Fine then! But do you have a plan?"

Icepaw released him then looked nervously at Spiritpaw. "Uh...well...we mean to say..."

"That you don't," Threepaw hissed. "Sure." He glared then turned around. "You really arn't helping."

"No!" Spiritpaw gasped, "I know what we need to do. We need to go and surprise attack some of the cats in the hollow, and well, kill them, then slaughter Mousefoot. It won't be hard."

"But..." Threepaw knew he could no longer protest to them. "Alright. Thats sounds ok...I guess. Come on."

With a mutter of triumph, Icepaw bunched her muscles and sprung up the ridge, heading into ThunderClan territory. She led the way and the other two streaked after her. Icepaw bounded through the leafy trees, wrinkling her nose as the stench of death drifted up and curled around her. It was so depressing she flattened her ears. How could she have left when Threepaw needed the most help?

Threepaw followed her through the forest, and they halted quickly at the edge of the hollow.

"Come on." Threepaw muttered and they followed him as he pulled himself slowly through the thickest of the brambles. They stopped and he poked his nose into the fresher air of the camp.

He had to keep out a wail of surprise when he saw what was happening.

Mousefoot stood on Highledge, proudly staring out into the clearing. Inside was the whole of RiverClan. Some seemed panicky, struggling in the grasps of other RiverClanners who seemed to want to be there.

"You all," Mousefoot yowled out to the cats, "Are here to help me, be it against or with your will. You are to fight off any enemies that try to attack us. You will work and serve me and the new Clan I have created. If you dare defy or leave, you will be slaughtered, and your body will rot in the center of camp."

A thin wailing came form the crowd and a small tom, mad with terror, tried to struggle form the cats. As he made to dash out of the clearing, A huge tom leaped at him and crushed him. There was a crack and a moment later the tom lay dead, split nearly in half through the middle.

"There," Mousefoot said, "You have had a visual aid. Do you understand the commands I am giving you?"

Silence.

"Good," Mousefoot hissed, then retreated to his den.

"This may be more difficult then we thought," Threepaw meowed, pulling his head back in to speak to his friends, "Mousefoot now has all of RiverClan serving him. Most of them seem pretty weak and scared, so it shouldn't be to hard to beat them. Let's just kill Blackclaw, and drive away some of the big warriors, then I'll go for Mousefoot. Come on."

Leading the way, Threepaw quietly slunk down through the brambles. There was a second when the moonlight fell full on him, but then he slipped into the shadow between two rocks, and looked back at Spiritpaw and Icepaw. He could just see there glinting eyes.

"Spiritpaw, do what I did. Icepaw, do it even faster after him, because you'll stand out with the white coat. Hurry!"

Spiritpaw was shivering with fear as he slipped through the light then into the hidden crevice. Threepaw pressed against him.

Icepaw stepped onto the rock, but less then half a second later, she was hiding.

"We did it," Threepaw said, then looked down to see where they would have to go next. "It's a big jump, but it's in shadow and there are no loose rocks that will make noise. Come along."

He didn't much his muscles, knowing that with the force in which he landed, there would be noise. Gently, he slid off the rock. Air whistled past him, then he bumped onto another, shadowy little ledge. He sighed with relief.

"It's fine!" he called up to them in a whisper.

Spiritpaw copied him easily, doing it just as quiet.

Icepaw dropped from the rock, but as she did, her claw scraped the stone. There was a loudish grating sound. Shaking if fear, all three apprentices pulled themselves further into the darkness.

They waited for a long time. Nobody seemed to have heard them, so Threepaw came out and looked down.

"Oh!" he said happily, "Most of the cats are going off to bed, so we can be less careful."

"Good," Icepaw whispered.

"Threepaw looked down. "Darn, the next ledge is really far down...and its in light, but I don't think that that's a bid deal now, with most everyone gone. Let's see...there's ice on the ledge. That stinks, so just land claws out."

He jumped gently down, feeling the moonlight wash over his fur. His claws hooked the ice and he grunted. But then his stomach plummeted as his paws slipped under him. He gasped and yanked himself together, then he slid over to the shadows. The ice is more slippery then I thought...he thought numbly, heart pounding.

He looked up, waiting for Spiritpaw, but saw Icepaw going instead. She leaped down close to the rock ledge, so when she slid, she did not slide far at all.

"Good," Threepaw muttered, then looked up again for Spiritpaw.

He came to the edge and leaped, paws out and claws splayed. He landed and looked at Threepaw, eyes glittering with fear. he slid over, but as he did, he lost his footing. Without a sound, he slipped from the rock. Threepaw ran foreword and saw him fall over the edge. He banged hard into a ledge and his eyes closed. He crashed over it and landed, unmoving on a ledge.

"No!" Threepaw cried as Icepaw yowled, "SPIRITPAW!" he skidded from the rock, bounding clumsily down the rocky slope as pebbles sprayed through the ari. His claws tore as he slipped over the edge and landed beside Spiritpaw. The tom was still, his red eyes closed in peaceful silence.

"Uh-oh," Threepaw muttered. There were dark stains on the toms pelt. Threepaw touched one and his paw came up wet and red.

"Icepaw!" He gasped, panic swirling through his blood. "Run. Run and get help! Go to Horseplace and get ThunderClan! Run! As fast as you can! HURRY!"

**xREVEIW! Sorry for the lack of updates, I lost my traveldrive so I had to rewrite like all of my work. GRR...REVIEW PLEASE!**


	30. Chapter 30

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Twenty _

Icepaw plunged through the undergrowth, her heart pounding. She didn't care how much noise she made, just that she got to Horseplace and ThunderClan as fast as she could. Spiritpaw needed help--only a medicine cat could give her that, and she knew Cinderpelt would be with the cats. She couldn't get the image of Spiritpaw lying on his side, motionless, out of her head. The thought made her charge faster.

Why do they have to be on the other side of the lake? She wondered as she entered WindClan territory. She still had to go through RiverClan territory, too. She pounded along the sandy bank, ignoring the deep paw prints she left in the enemies zone. She put on a burst of energy, knowing this was for Spiritpaw.

The white she-cat dashed along the sand and moved on, into RiverClan territory. Here is was harder to move as fast, because of the reeds and marsh. But still she pressed on, teeth gritted and ears back. She floundered through pools of aged, dirty water and then broke onto open grass. She dashed upward, heading to the barns. She streaked underneath a wooden fence and her paws sunk into soft manure. She was nearly crushed by a horse as it neighed and attempted to stamp her into the ground.

The banged into the wooden door and stood in the dusty, smelly, moonlit barn.

"ThunderClan!" She gasped, completely out of breath. "Thornclaw? Anybody? Bramblestar? THUNDERCLAN! YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!!"

Eyes glinted in the gloom, then a she-cat Icepaw recognized as Poppytail stepped into view. She stared, bristling, at the intruder.

Another cat, Brushfur, stood beside the first cat.

"ShadowClan?" Snarled Poppytail, "Leave now, intruder."

"I'm not in ShadowClan!," Icepaw panted, "I mean I am...but I'm good! I'm Icepaw! I need your help!"

"Why?" Snarled Poppytail, but her voice became softer as she sniffed the white she-cat and recognized her.

"Well, Threepaw, Our friend, Spiritpaw and I were all going to surprise kill Mousefoot and his top cronies. Unfortunately, Spiritpaw hurt his back, falling. He needs a Medicine cat, and we need some cats to help us fight. PLEASE help us!"

Poppytail looked around. "I..." She said.

"Where is Bramblestar?" Icepaw asked in a voice brimming with panic, "Let me speak to him. He's the leader. Please let me speak to him!"

"Talk to StarClan if you must, then," Brushfur meowed, "Bramblestar and Thornclaw are dead. Poppystar is the leader and Foxclaw is the deputy."

"But..." Icepaw mind reeled in shock. Had it been really that bad? Who else had died? But she knew Poppystar would be strong and help rebuild her Clan.

"Well, Mousefoot has taken over RiverClan, and we need him to stop before he takes over all the Clans!" Icepaw yowled, "I beg you to help us kill him."

"We did come here for safety," Poppystar meowed softly, "But we will help you all the same. I shall come, along with Foxclaw, Brushfur, Lionheart, Cinderpelt, Berrytalon and Honeytail will all go! Come now! Lead the way, Icepaw."

XXX

Threepaw stared after Icepaw as she shot into the distance. Cats had gathered in the clearing, looking up to see what the yelling and noise had been about.

Threepaw looked down at Spiritpaw. He was as still as ever. Only the slightest warmth in his pelt told him that he was still alive.

Suddenly, the tom jerked and opened his eyes. He stared foreword before moving his head to look at Threepaw.

"Where...am...I?" He rasped, swallowing.

"You...you fell," Threepaw whispered. "And hurt yourself."

Spiritpaw blinked slowly. "I feel no pain...just warmth..."

Threepaw stood up and looked into the tom's eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I...I think so." Spiritpaw lowered his eyes. "I feel so...happy."

Threepaw swallowed hard. "Do you think you're going to be ok?"

Spiritpaw nodded. "I think I will." He closed his eyes. "I know I will." He fell silent and the whole world swam around Threepaw, the stars seeming bigger then ever. He stared down at Spiritpaw as the life left his body and he was claimed by death

Threepaw looked up at the sky, the stars. He shut his eyes, feeling burning tears of loss and pain fall from them.

_Oh StarClan, where is love?_

**Oh, Spiritpaw. That was sad to write XD becuase I was listening to 'Where is Love?' From the Oliver movie, and it fit so perfectly, I even cried. Plus I got the last line in this chapter from that song. REVIEW!**


	31. Chapter 31

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Thirty One_

Threepaw opened his eyes ages later. He turned around to see Icepaw bounding toward him.

"Threepaw! Is he alright? Spiritpaw?"

Threepaw just stared at her.

"Threepaw?" Icepaw slipped past him and touched Spiritpaw with a paw.

"Oh...but...Threepaw...NO!" Icepaw cried.

Threepaw stood up and stared to walk off. She dashed after him. "Threepaw, wait! What-what happened? Please tell me...I-I...want to know."

He turned to face her. "Sure," He said, his voice surprisingly cold. "He died, right after you left, and I got to sit there and watch. Does that summarize it?"

"Threepaw, no! I'm not mad...I..sad...that he...died..."

Threepaw turned around, to see that there were tears in her eyes. "You did love him, didn't you?"

The white she-cat sat down curling her tail around her paws. "I did. And now that's wrecked. We can't be mates. We can't have kits. We can't live together forever." She shrugged. "That's the way things go."

Threepaw realized dimly that she was doing a pretty good of hiding her grief about Spiritpaw.

"I brought ThunderClan." She said softly.

Threepaw stared at her and looked away to keep from crying. "That's…good." He rasped.  
"Because some of those cats have alerted Mousefoot to the commotion. Come on. We should attack."

Icepaw nodded and slipped past him. Cats were already coming out of dens and looking up at the rock wall, yowling when they saw the intruders.

Poppystar gave a cry and launched herself into the crowd. Cats bellowed at the she-cat's attack, and in a second complete battle chaos had happened.

Threepaw and Icepaw leaped into the camp. Threepaw wriggled through the crowd, scratching those he could and injuring others. A large, angry tom leaped at him. Threepaw whirled around and lashed into the air, cutting the tom open in the chest. The tom yelled and sliced his claws through Threepaw's side, making the young tom falter. The other cat leaped at him, throwing all his weight on Threepaw. Threepaw blasted upward, throwing him off, and giving him a hard bite on the ear.

He turned and ran off, bumping into Foxclaw and another cat. Both were locked in combat. He turned around then bounded away.

A scraggly she-cat came up to him and hissed. Threepaw attacked first, sinking his teeth into the she-cat's hind leg. Blood spurted out, but she didn't notice. Instead, she aimed rock hard paws at his head. One of them hit and Threepaw got deep, bloody gashes in his upper cheek.

The she-cat bounded off and Threepaw jumped up. Instantly, another cat zoomed up to him. It stared at his face in fear then gave a feeble hiss, raising its claws.

"No," Threepaw whispered, "You know you don't want to fight here. Run now, go to Horseplace and be safe."

The cat looked into his eyes for a long moment, then dashed from camp.

Threepaw whirled around, and saw a familiar cream and grey tabby leaping from Highledge. Threepaw ran foreword as the cat bolted out of the clearing and into the forest. Giving a cry, Threepaw gave pursuit, streaking after his father with his tails fluffed out behind him.

"YOU COWARD!" He bellowed, making sure that Mousefoot heard him, "YOU STINKING COWARD! HOW CAN YOU RUN FROM A BATTLE LIKE THAT?"

The sleek black crashed into something hard and cold. He looked up to see Mousefoot glaring down into his eyes.

"I am NOT running away from a battle," He growled, "I am simply using this as a chance to recruit ShadowClan to my new Clan." He snickered. "Isn't this just the perfect time?" So saying, he raced away, heading toward ShadowClan.

He was so fast, Threepaw barely could keep up. He saw moonlight ahead and raced foreword, spying the Twoleg bridge. Not wanting to let his father enter ShadowClan's territory, Threepaw took a huge leap and his paws crashed onto Mousefoot's thick, creamy tail.

"You will NOT touch Icepaw's Clan!" he panted, feeling sweat blossom on his face. He yanked Mousefoot back, his muscles shaking.

"It is not Icepaw's Clan," Mousefoot sneered, "It's mine."

"It will never be yours!" Screamed Threepaw. He threw his weight foreword and yanked Mousefoot back.

"LET ME GO, WRETCH!" Mousefoot yelled sounding hysterical.

"NOT UNLESS YOU PROMISE NOT TO TOUCH HER CLAN!" Threepaw gasped.

Mousefoot whirled around. "Are you challenging me?" He snarled.

"I am." Threepaw said, his voice shaking as he looked into his father's amber eyes.

Mousefoot slowly turned and moved toward him. "So," he said, "So, you're challenging me? You obviously do not know what I am capable of."

"You don't scare me," Threepaw said.

Mousefoot snickered. "Have you heard of Leafpool's death? Firestar? Greystripe? Millpaw? Ever guessed who was responsible?"

Threepaw looked at him and slowly shook his head.

"Me," Mousefoot said smoothly. "I slaughtered them all. It wasn't hard you know. I had to frame ShadowClan. That was easy. First I had to convince Russetstar to make it look like her clan had done it. Then, in all those battles, I killed Firestar, Greystripe, Millpaw and Leafpool. Then I posed as another cat and killed Chalkpaw. See, Threepaw, This has been going on long before you were even born. You were and are just a teeny obstacle. An obstacle with three tails." He grinned slyly. "Now tell me, Threepaw, does it hurt, when your tails are pulled? Does it?"

Threepaw looked into his father's eyes and didn't answer. Inside, he quaked with fear.

"I think I'll test, then," Mousefoot smiled, then quick as a flash, he dashed foreword and yanked on Threepaw's third and second tails. Threepaw let out a scream as his claws hooked in. Desperation filled him, and he jabbed the tip of his remaining tail into Mousefoot's throat. He gave a loud cough and leapt back.

"Nice move," He complimented slyly, as Threepaw turned to look at him. "But it didn't work. And still…and still I HATE YOUR TAILS!"  
Threepaw backed away as his raving father advanced. "You're jealous aren't you?" He said loudly in a shaking voice, "You're jealous of the skills my tails give me, right Mousefoot?" It took all his strength and willpower to stay strong and be brave.

"No," Mousefoot said neatly, "I'm not." He pounced on Threepaw, pressing his face into the dirt. "BUT I CANNOT LIVE WHILE SOMEONE WITH THREE TAILS DOES TOO!" Panting and slobbering, he started to scratch and hack at Threepaw's tails.

Threepaw rocketed foreword barely getting loose. "Why do you hate them so much?" He gasped, moving around Mousefoot.

Mousefoot looked at him, smiling benignly. "I can't live with them," he said, "So you'd better die so I'm happy."

"You don't scare me!" Threepaw yelled, panting in fear. "You will never scare me!" He started to run foreword, splashing through the stream. He had to get to ShadowClan before Mousefoot and save them from the raving tom.

He charged up the slope, gasping in desperation. And suddenly, there were claws in his back and tail. He whirled around.

"_I_ go to ShadowClan first," Mousefoot snarled, "And you will NOT get in my way!"

"Yes I will!" Threepaw flung his claws into his father's face. Mousefoot screamed as blood welled all over. Mad with fury, Mousefoot sunk his teeth hard into Threepaw's shoulder, while his claws scratched at Threepaw's flank and front leg.

"LET GO!" Threepaw screeched. He began to be dragged down the slope, to the water. He dug his claws into the mossy side, but as Mousefoot yanked him down, they just tore up soft dirt.

Mousefoot pushed him down. Threepaw gasped as Mosuefoot's paw was placed on his neck. Threepaw coughed and yelled as he felt himself being plunged into water. "STOP!" he screamed. Water bubbled over his mouth. He scrambled, airless and empty, trying to get a breath, but Mousefoot's paw had him held fast underwater.

"NO!" He said and it came up as bubbles. Nothing could save him now…everything was going black as he was slowly drowned…

The rocks…so slippery…

Threepaw, barely aware of what he was doing, slid against the rocks as hard as he could. He slipped foreword and Mousefoot lost his grasp on the three-tailed tom.

Threepaw struggled slowly to his feet. Mousefoot was glaring at him, lashing his tail.

Threepaw lashed his tails in response. "I will not let you kill me," He panted.

Mousefoot bared his teeth. "We'll see about that." So saying, he launched himself foreword, claws and teeth ready.

He banged into Threepaw. The tri-tailed tom felt blood spurt out from his back as Mousefoot's teeth met in his lower neck.

Threepaw twisted, forcing Mousefoot to let go. Then the three-tailed tom rocketed foreword. His claws hit Mousefoot so hard that he pushed the tom and himself up to the top of the slope.

Mousefoot struggled to get free. Threepaw gasped and panted but hung on. Mousefoot whirled and cut open Threepaw's face. Threepaw gasped out and flung his tails foreword. They wrapped tightly around Mousefoot's soft throat. He began to roll, latched onto his father. Both headed to the stream and splashed into it. Mousefoot stood up and tried to get Threepaw off him, but he was too weak. After struggling for a long time, he fell, his rump in the water. He raised his head and screamed in agony.

Threepaw gasped and released him. He struggled to the bank, blood pouring out of him.

Mousefoot stared into him, head up. He gave a vicious snarl of anger.

"What are you doing?" He bellowed.

Threepaw stared into his father's eyes and swallowed hard, shaking. "I'm killing you," he answered truthfully.

"How can you—why are you—Stop this!" Mousefoot started to pant as he scrabbled at the pebbly bank, but his hindlegs were paralyzed, so he could not move. He had braced his front legs against the ground, but it did not help him.

"You said you could not live while I did," Threepaw said loudly, his voice shaking as it rang through the forest. "So…I listened to you…and followed your wishes."

Mousefoot's eyes were tight with immense fury. "I did not mean it for you! I meant it for me! I meant it the other way round!"

Threepaw looked at his furious, desperate father. "Sometimes the things we mean for ourselves are actually meant for others," He said softly, staring at the dying tom.

Mousefoot looked into his eyes, then his head fell down and hit a rock. His eyes glazed over. "You…are…right…" he said and his voice grew softer. "Look…at…me…" Threepaw turned his gaze to him as Mousefoot fell into silence. Then there was nothing.


	32. Chapter 32

_My Tail Leads, Chapter Thirty Two_

There was a lot of blood. It ran with the river, disappearing around the bend with the rest of the water. It came from Mousefoot and his hind legs, which lay in the water. His other half was on the rocky shore, his teeth just barely showing and his eyes whitish and glazed. He lay on his side, paws splayed.

Threepaw gave a cough and backed away, feeling weak and drained. Slowly, he stumbled back to camp, coughing and wheezing all the while.

The thought of everyone else still fighting made him even more exhanusted, knowing he'd have to end all that too. He padded in through the tunnel an looked around. Yes, everyone was fighting, but everyone was also mostly dead, except most of ThunderClan and about five other cats.

"Leave!" Threepaw yelled at them, barely raising his voice, "Your master is dead! Go."

They looked up in confusion, then one by one, they ran, yowling in joy, from the camp.

Icepaw ran up to him, drenched in blood. "You did it! We did it! You killed him! You saved the Clan!"

Threepaw shrugged. "Yeah, I guess." The three tailed tom slowly headed across camp and collapsed into the apprentices den, falling asleep instantly.

XXX

Dawn came, bright and early. Threepaw felt well rested so he pushed his way through the ferns and blinked in the morning light that filled the clearing. He lifted his three tails and flicked them. When he looked at them, he realized they were covered in some of Mousefoot's blood. He slowly cleaned it off then padded over to Icepaw.

"Icepaw?" he meowed.

She turned to look at him, finishing off some fresh-kill. "Hello, Threepaw. How are you? Everything's going good. We're rebuilding the camp and everything. Cats are resting and getting healthy, and we're taking out all that junk Mousefoot added to the camp, like the cage and the bloody cloth."

"Good," Threepaw said, "Who died?"

She looked around. "Just Brookfur. We were lucky."

Threepaw smiled. They had not lost many more cats.

XXX

All day, Threepaw helped rebuild the Clan, with Icepaw at his side. Only when night fell, did Poppystar leap onto Highledge and call a meeting.

Everyone gathered slowly. Threepaw padded over and joined the small group, sitting beside Icepaw.

"The time has come for some very important cats, who have saved us from our time of trial, to become warriors." Poppystar looked at Silverpelt.

"I, Poppystar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors, in their turn."

"Icepaw, Threepaw, do you promise to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

"I do," Icepaw said loudly.

Threepaw closed his eyes and felt a warm feeling of happiness rush over him.

"I do," He said.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names. Icepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Icefeather. StarClan honors you for your courage and strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Poppystar rested his chin on Icefeather's bowed head. Then she turned to look at Threepaw.

"Threepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Threepower. (AN: Sucky warrior name, but I didn't want to do Threetail!)StarClan honors you for your inner strength and your wisdom, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

"ICEFEATHER! THREEPOWER! ICEFEATHER! THREEPOWER!" As the call went up, Threepower closed his eyes again. He was no longer being thought of only by his tails. Now everyone would now him as the one who had saved the Clans from the worst villain yet.

_I have something to be proud of, now_, he thought, then smiled. _My tails._

XXX

It was dark, as Threepower guarded the camp beside Icefeather. He looked over at her as she stirred.

"What is it?" he asked.

The white warrior glanced around. "I-…" She trailed away, then left camp. He stood up and followed her. "Where are you going?" he asked.

Icefeather was silent. Threepower felt worry churn in his belly, because he was pretty sure of what was coming.

They reached the Twoleg bridge.

Threepower looked down, shaking as he searched for Mousefoot's body. It was gone, nowhere to be seen, though where it had gone Threepower did not or never would now.

Icefeather looked at him, sadly. "Threepower…I…"

"Are you leaving?" he whispered.

"Yes."

It was happening all over again.

"I have to go back to ShadowClan," Icefeather muttered. "It is my…my home there. My soul is there, not in ThunderClan."

He looked at her sadly. "I understand."

"And I makes me feel closer to Spiritpaw. I need to be with him, and ShadowClan is where that can happen."

Threepower swallowed.

She started to walk away. He watched her splash through the stream and pad up the slope.

"Icefeather!" he called to her, quietly.

She looked back, then turned around.

"I love you," He muttered.

She looked at him with unhappiness in her eyes. "So do I." She muttered. She smiled slightly, sadly. They stared at each other for a while then she padded on. He watched her until she disappeared into the shadows.

Suddenly, hope brimmed up in his chest, and he felt like screaming happiness out to the world. He was a warrior, Mousefoot was dead, and he wasn't hated anymore. As he charged back to camp he knew that this was the beginning of an ending.

**There! It's over! There will be no sequel, because this story is to unique as it is. I've seen some really good stories where the first is so awesome, but the sequel is bad and kinda brings the whole series down. So please review, if you liked it! I think that this story was a lot of fun to write so REVIEW!**


End file.
